


Elevator Encounter

by MoonCat163



Category: Loki Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, F/M, Family Drama, Loki is left to wander the halls alone, Loki is persistent, Not much of a plot, plot holes (probably)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-11-17 18:07:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 40,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18103700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonCat163/pseuds/MoonCat163
Summary: Loki has just moved into Stark Tower. The employees were advised to leave him alone and to not draw his attention to them.Not much could go wrong, but for the god of mischief, it’s inevitable.  One employee faints while she’s in the elevator with him.How’s that for not drawing his attention?





	1. Chapter 1

Loki was alone on the elevator when the woman stepped on. He was on his way up to the Avengers level and growing impatient with the constant stops at different floors. Since they were the only two currently on the elevator, he gave her a quick head to toe glance. He didn’t recall seeing her before, but then there were so many Stark employees in the building that he hadn’t seen, nor did he care to. Plus, he’d only been there for a few weeks. 

“Good morning,” she said, looking up at him and smiling before turning her attention to the phone in her hand. 

Loki simply nodded and waited for the trip to resume. The doors closed, and he sighed quietly when they opened again just two floors up. This time, six agents got on, crowding the woman toward the back corner as they tried to give him room, something which amused him. 

He gave her another glance and was a bit perplexed to see that she had turned pale and had leaned her head back against the wall. Her hand covered her mouth and Loki realized that she was distressed about something. 

He punched the button for the next floor and then held the door open. 

“Out.”

The men looked at him warily before slowly filing out. Loki then let the doors close as he turned to his lone companion. 

“Are you alright?”

She shook her head and took a deep breath. “One of them had on some god awful cologne….”

“And that distressed you?”

“I have to…” she took one step toward the door before her knees gave out. 

Loki caught her around the waist to keep her from collapsing to the floor. He held her that way while trying to decide what to do, then scooped her up before pressing the button to the top floor. 

Once there, he carried her into his room and laid her on the bed. He stood for a moment, looking at her. She looked tiny lying on his huge bed and he couldn’t suppress a grin. He perched carefully on the edge of the mattress and studied her quietly. 

“Loki!”

Loki sighed again when he heard Tony Stark storm through the living quarters not five minutes later. He stood and moved away from the bed and waited. 

“Look, I don’t care whose brother you are, you just can’t pluck Stark employees off their floors and bring them to your room!”

Tony stopped at the door, with Thor right behind him. Tony gave Loki an angry look, while Thor’s expression was curious. 

“Several people saw you carrying her. What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Loki replied stiffly. “She fainted on the elevator and I brought her here.”

“And naturally you bypassed two perfectly good sofas to bring her in here,” Tony said, sarcastically, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Naturally,” Loki replied, with a grin. 

Tony sighed as he gently touched the woman’s cheek before looking at her employee badge. 

“What happened?”

“I’m not certain. She became distressed when six agents piled into the elevator and crowded her into the corner. She said something about cologne.”

Tony gently patted her cheek and chafed her wrists as she started to stir. She pushed his hands away irritably. 

“Ms. McAlister? Lyssa?” He said quietly. “Come on, dearie.”

Lyssa flinched before slowly opening her eyes. When she recognized Tony, she gave a start and tried to sit up. Tony pushed her back onto the pillow and watched as she then recognized Thor. A slight blush stained her cheeks. 

“Mr. Stark? Oh, hell,” she whispered in horror. Her Southern accent was unmistakable. 

“I sometimes have that effect on people.” Tony turned to Thor with a laugh. 

“What happened?” She then asked. 

“Loki says you fainted.”

“Loki? Aw, double hell.” She groaned then. “Where am I?”

“Penthouse, Loki’s room to be exact.”

“Ah, dammit, I don’t have clearance to be up here!”

She tried to get up again but he pushed her back once more. It was bad enough to have fainted while at work, but to do it in front Thor’s brother and then end up on a highly secured floor was worse. Not to mention that she’d ended up in said brother’s bed to boot. 

“You disappoint me, Ms. McAlister,” he said, teasingly. “There should have been a ‘triple hell’ there.”

“Triple hell,” she said, putting her arm over her eyes. The corner of her mouth twitched with the tiniest smile. 

“Good girl.” He patted her arm while Thor gave a chuckle. Loki tried not to look amused and failed. 

“Entertaining creatures,” he said to Thor with a laugh. “I want one. That one, to be exact.”

“No.” Thor and Tony both said in unison. 

Tony then turned his attention back to Lyssa, who had moved her arm away from her eyes. She rubbed her hands over her face, brushing back strands of hair. 

“Now, tell me what happened.”

“I have a sensitivity to strong smells….”

“Are you sure it wasn’t him?” Tony asked, indicating Loki with his thumb. Loki gave the back of his head a frown. 

“No, it wasn’t him, he smells nice…” she said quickly, glancing at Loki. “One of the agents had on a cologne…”

“ ‘god awful’ were your exact words,” Loki interrupted, ignoring Thor’s grin at Lyssa’s defense of him. 

“Yes, and it triggered a migraine,” she continued. “I couldn’t get off the elevator.”

Lyssa took a deep breath and sat up abruptly with a panicked look on her face. 

“You should be still for a few more minutes,” Tony told her. 

“No, actually, I really need to get up…”

Tony stood quickly as she pushed him out of the way and looked around. All three men pointed to the bathroom and she fled, closing the door behind her. After a few minutes, she came back out while wiping her face with a dark green washcloth. Her dark hair had fallen out its twisted knot and now cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. 

“I’ll wash this and send it back to you,” she told Loki, hesitantly. 

“No need. There’s a hamper in the bathroom,” he replied, with a smile. 

“When you’re feeling up to it, I’ll have someone drive you home,” Tony told her. 

“That’s alright, I have an apartment here. I can make it, but I should let my manager know. I’m late enough as it is,” Lyssa said while pressing the wet cloth to her eyes. 

Loki took note of that and started to say something but Thor bumped him with his shoulder while Tony mouthed the word “no” to him. Loki huffed softly in annoyance. 

“I think I left my bag on the elevator, it has my phone in it.”

“We’ll find it and send it to you,” Tony replied. “Ready?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, going to quickly put the washcloth into the hamper. 

“Thor, would you escort her?”

“I could…” Loki started to say but was interrupted. 

“No!” Tony and Thor both said. Loki crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at both of them. 

Lyssa glanced between them before Thor took her by the hand to lead her out of the room. Loki followed them, with Tony following him to insure that he stayed put. 

“Thank you for your help, Loki. I hope that I didn’t put you through too much trouble,” Lyssa told him, while looking back over her shoulder at him. 

“Not at all,” he replied, watching her intently. “I hope to see you again, soon.”

Lyssa gave him a tentative smile before stepping onto the elevator with Thor. Loki moved where he could watch her until the doors closed. 

Thor then put his hand on her waist to hold her against his side so that he could keep her steady. Lyssa felt so tiny next to him and he could feel that she was trembling. 

“It’s alright,” he told her, with a slight squeeze of his arm. 

The rest of ride down was made in silence until they reached her floor. 

“Which way?” Thor asked. 

“Down here,” she replied, pointing. 

He walked with her, then waited while she unlocked her door. 

“Thanks for the escort,” she told him. 

“Of course,” he bowed slightly. “Get some rest.”

******  
Once inside her apartment, Lyssa threw herself onto her couch with a groan. After a couple of minutes, she rolled to her back and brushed her long hair out of her face. 

What a day, she thought to herself. 

To start, she hadn’t been feeling well and probably should have just called out, but she still had research to do for her manager. She had graduated law school and was studying for her bar exam, so she needed the practice in doing the research and presenting it. 

Then she had been running late to a team meeting when she stepped onto the elevator with Loki. She hadn’t recognized him immediately as she was busy fielding off texts from her manager. 

Then the agents had gotten on, pushing her to the back corner without a second glance at her. Then the scent of the cologne hit her and things went from bad to worse. She didn’t remember anything between that point and coming to in Loki’s bed to find Tony Stark and Thor staring down at her. 

Those two were intimidating enough, but then she saw him standing beside Thor, watching her with those incredibly green eyes. 

Loki. 

They had been warned to leave him alone and to not draw his attention to them. So, naturally, she had fainted on him, came to in his bed, vomited in his bathroom and used one of his washcloths. 

So much for that. 

She really should have called out.


	2. Chapter 2

It was three days before Loki saw the amusing mortal again. He’d been wandering the building, fighting off boredom when he saw her sitting alone at a corner table in the food court. She had an open book out and was copiously reading and taking notes while occasionally taking a bite of a sandwich. 

He got an iced coffee and quietly made his way to her table. As usual, the other people there gave him a wide berth once they recognized him. Most days, he found this to be amusing but on others, it was tedious. He wondered what would happen if he suddenly shouted “BOO” at one of the nervous creatures, and decided to try it one day when he was desperately bored. 

Loki sat down, then leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs at the knee. It was several minutes before she realized that she had company. 

”Hi,” she said, a bit flustered, entranced by his green eyes. Her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. 

“Hello, Lyssa,” he replied. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you,” she replied. “I took some medication and then rested for a couple of days. Thanks again for your help.”

Loki nodded, and took a sip of his coffee, watching while Lyssa closed her book and put away her notes. She put her bag on the floor by her foot and turned her attention to him and her sandwich. 

“Everyone seems to be watching us,” he commented, noticing the attention on them. 

“That’s not surprising,” she said. “We were warned not to approach you, but nothing was said about your approaching us. I think they want to see what happens.”

“Ah.” He took another sip of coffee. “Should I yell ‘boo’?”

Lyssa laughed at the mischievous grin that he gave her. “Do you want me to scream and faint? I can be most convincing.”

“I can believe that, but maybe another time,” he replied. “At the moment, I need your help.”

“Sure.” She wondered what kind of help that he could possibly need from her. 

“This thing that Stark gave me keeps buzzing me. How do I shut it up?”

Loki took a smartwatch from his pocket and put it into her hand. She looked at it and then at him. 

“These are text messages that you haven’t read yet.”

“Show me.”

Lyssa scooted her chair around so that he could see the watch. She leaned close, a movement that surprised him a bit so Loki put his arm across the back of her chair. He could still feel the gazes of the other people around them, but the scent of her hair and skin was most pleasing and kept his attention on her. 

She’d worn her hair down today and a strand fell across his fingers. Loki carefully captured it and twisted it gently. Lyssa felt the movement but decided to ignore it. 

Loki leaned closer so that he could whisper in her ear. “You smell nice.”

Lyssa jumped slightly at the sound of his voice and the feel of his breath against her skin. She just managed to keep her hands from shaking. 

“If these are classified, I really shouldn’t be reading them,” she said, turning her head to look at him. 

“That’s unlikely,” he replied, with a wink. “They probably want to know where I am and what I’m doing.”

Lyssa showed him how to check the messages, which did actually consist of demands to know his whereabouts and warnings not to collect any more employees. She also showed him how to turn off the sound and vibration when he wanted. Loki decided that he might give wearing it another go now that it would no longer startle him by going off suddenly. 

“Texts on a phone would be easier to read and respond to,” she told him. 

“Oh, I lost that phone the first week he gave it to me,” Loki laughed. “He hasn’t trusted me with another one yet.”

Lyssa couldn’t help but grin at the glee on his face when he said that. 

“You do know that phones can be easily tracked, right? He probably has it put up for later.”

“That figures.” Loki’s smile faded a bit. “This thing too?”

“Unfortunately,” she nodded. “But, on the bright side, at least he doesn’t have to send security guards after you. And you do know there are cameras almost everywhere, right?”

******

“Your brother has found his friend from the other day,” Tony called out to Thor, who had just stepped off the elevator to the Avengers’ living quarters. 

“Is he causing trouble or frightening her?”

“Not at all. He’s actually smiling.”

Thor walked over to the desk and looked over Tony’s shoulder to watch the pair. Lyssa appeared at ease with Loki’s closeness and he didn’t miss the fact that Loki had played with her hair briefly. 

“Careful that you don't reveal all my secrets, Ms. McAlister,” Tony said to the security monitor. He also had the audio on so that he could listen to the conversation. 

“But are they really secrets?” Thor asked. 

“Not really, but he doesn’t know that,” Tony shrugged with a laugh. “He had no interest in that watch until today. Why now?”

“He probably saw hers and decided to ask about it,” Thor replied. “Next, he’ll be asking for the phone back, but I think his interest is more with her than anything.”

They observed while Lyssa fastened the watch onto Loki’s wrist.

“I’ll probably need to have a talk with her.”

******

“How does that feel?” She asked, running a finger underneath the watch band to test the tightness. “Too tight?”

“Not at all,” he replied, fascinated by the softness of her hands. 

“Good. Try it on this wrist and if it doesn’t suit you, we can set it for the other one.”

Loki nodded while he flexed his hand and wrist, trying to get used to having the watch there. He finally turned his attention back to her. 

“What are you drinking?” He then asked, examining her cup. 

“Caramel Frappuccino. Basically a milkshake with coffee in it,” she replied. “And whipped cream on top.”

“I haven’t tried one of those yet,” he said.

Lyssa took the lid off and started to hand him a clean spoon so that he could sample it but he used her straw to take a sip. His eyebrows went up in delight and he pushed his iced coffee toward her. 

“Trade you.”

She looked at him, rather dumbfounded before putting the spoon down. She watched while he quickly finished what was left in her cup. 

“You know, that’s a good way to catch a bug,” she finally said. “Although I’m not even sure whether you could catch the cold or flu.”

“What’s that?” He asked, using the spoon to scrape out what was left of the whipped cream and caramel. 

“Never mind. I’ll be right back. Watch my stuff?”

He nodded without looking at her. Lyssa went to the coffee stand and ordered three more of the drinks, two of the largest size for him and a smaller one for herself. 

“This one’s mine,” she told him, keeping the small cup away from him. “If you want more after these two, I’ll see if they can use one of their pitchers.”

She sat down and couldn’t help but watch in fascination while he quickly drank the first one with no sign of brain freeze. When he started on the second one, she put the other half of her sandwich on an extra plate and divided the chips. 

“Are you hungry? I’m not going to eat that,” she said. 

Loki gave her a grin and his emerald eyes fairly gleamed. She gave a soft sigh and started eating her half of the sandwich. He’d finished his in about three bites. 

When she’d finished eating, she stood and got her bag. Loki also stood. 

“I have to go now, my lunch break is over,” she told him while a gathering up the trash. She pushed her hair out of the way. 

Loki nodded. “May I escort you to your floor?”

“Sure.” 

_Oh, heaven help me, he’s going to be the death of me_ , Lyssa thought as he walked by her side until they reached the elevator. 

The ride to the fourteenth floor was conspicuously devoid of any other passengers. When the door opened, no one wanted to get on when they saw Loki scowling at them. 

He left her then, after a bow and smile. “Until tomorrow, pet.”

Lyssa went to her desk, aware that everyone’s eyes were on her.


	3. Chapter 3

After work, Lyssa’s mind was on Loki. She had felt it when he’d played with her hair and the thrill that had went through her was undeniable. They’d been warned to leave him alone, and she wasn’t sure why he was seeking her out. She certainly wasn’t doing anything to draw his attention to her.

She knew that he was considered dangerous, but he had a beautiful smile and a sense of humor, so it was hard to think of him as a threat.

That night, he invaded her dreams and she woke with a start, half expecting him to be there with her. She laid still, catching her breath and it was a long time before she was able to get back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Lyssa was also on Loki’s mind. He was laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was restless and had retreated to his suite to get some peace after some relentless jabs from Stark.

He’d normally avoid Midgardians but this one girl (he knew she’d object to his calling her that, since she would be considered a grown woman) had made him laugh after she’d come to in his bed. She had been flustered but not afraid, and he had wanted to amuse himself by teasing her.

He’d touched her silky hair and felt her soft hand on his skin. Then she had smiled at him and laughed with him.

Something had changed and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

One woman out of billions on this boring planet.

One woman out of millions in this horrid city.

One woman out of all of Stark’s employees.

And he was ensnared by her.

*** ***

“Ms. McAlister.”

The next day, one of Stark’s security guards stopped her at the top of the escalator leading up from the food court. Loki hadn’t joined her for lunch, something that both relieved and disappointed her.

“Yes?” She said, shoulders drooping in defeat.

“Mr. Stark would like to see you.”

She was escorted to Tony’s office and left alone to wait for him. He finally came in, followed by Thor and Steve Rogers.

 _Things_ _just_ _couldn’t_ _get_ _any_ _better_ , she thought to herself. _Or_ _worse_.

Tony sat at his desk and studied her in silence for several minutes, making her squirm nervously. Thor and Steve also watched her and were no help at all.

“Sir? Whatever it is, please, can we just get it over with?” She finally asked, heart pounding.

“You’re scaring her, Tony,” Steve finally said.

“Are you scared of me?” Tony asked, rather surprised.

“I once spent three hours in a tree with a black bear cub while its mama prowled below. Compared to that, there’s not much else that will scare me, other than losing my job, my apartment and being homeless in New York City in the middle of winter.”

Lyssa’s Southern accent became more pronounced as her nervousness grew. Steve gave a surprised chuckle and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

“Southerners,” Tony laughed.

“Just because I walk slow and talk slow, it doesn’t mean that I’m stupid,” she said, starting to get just a bit defensive. “You called me up here for a reason, so let’s hear it. Please.”

“No one thinks you’re stupid,” Steve said, quickly.

Tony leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on his desk. Thor glanced over at him.

“You know, there are one thousand people that work in this building, yet somehow you managed to catch the attention of Thor’s brother,” Tony finally said. “And he’s taken a liking to you.”

Lyssa bristled at that. “Am I not good enough or pretty enough for…..”

“Sorry, that’s not what I meant,” he cut her off with a quick apology when Thor glared at him.

“It’s just that my brother normally doesn’t interact with Midgardians or humans, rather,” Thor explained gently.

She was also a bit confused by his interest in her. She couldn’t figure out why he made a point of singling her out to spend time with her. It wasn’t that she minded, she actually found him intriguing and quite humorous at times. She knew that he could be quite dangerous just based on his past actions, but wasn’t afraid of him.

“To be fair, I didn’t approach him,” she said. “Other than getting onto the elevator without immediately recognizing him.”

“True,” Tony rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “That is true.”

“Mr. Stark, am I in trouble? We were only told not to approach or bother him, which I didn’t do.”

“You’re not in trouble.”

“Am I to avoid him or run from him? At the least, that would be rude, and at the most it seems cruel….” Lyssa was becoming upset, to the point of tears.

“No, I’m not asking you to do that,” Tony said quickly. “But he can be unpredictable, although he has been a lot less troublesome since your elevator ride.”

Lyssa looked at Thor. “He- he wouldn’t hurt me, would he? He’s been gentle, and kind, so far.”

“No, I don’t believe so,” Thor replied, “but you must remain aware that he is being watched, constantly.”

Lyssa understood what Thor didn’t say: if she was with Loki in public places, she would be observed as well.

“What am I to do then?”

“You’re an adult, you can choose for yourself,” Tony told her. “But if you have any trouble, you are to let us know.”

“How would I do that?”

Her phone chimed and she saw a text with Tony’s phone number.

“Save that, alright?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

“I’ll escort you down to your floor,” Thor said, rising to offer his hand.

Lyssa stood and took it. This was the second time that she’d been close enough to realize just how big he was and how little she was next to him, and to Loki, truth be told.

Once the elevator doors closed, she looked up at him. He had been studying her quietly.

“Can you tell me why you’re not afraid of him?” Thor asked, curiously.

Lyssa wasn’t sure how to explain her lack of fear. “I really don’t know how to answer that. I know what he’s capable of, albeit not first hand, but I feel if he was in the same state now as he was then, he wouldn’t be wandering around Stark tower and in close contact with a thousand employees. Should I be afraid?”

“No,” he replied gently. “He sees something in you and it interests him. He won’t hurt you.”

“If you say so,” she replied.

“Trust me.”

Once they reached her door, Thor kissed the backs of her fingers gently, his beard rough against her skin.

“Thank you,” she told him, sincerity in her voice and eyes.

He winked before leaving her.

******  
“Loki, a word?”

“What is it, Brother?”

Loki paused on his way to his suite. He was tired and bored from wandering around the building. He hadn’t seen Lyssa and realized that he must have missed her during her lunch break. He didn’t interrupt her on her job, and didn’t know where her apartment was, yet.

“The woman, Lyssa,” Thor said, watching him. “What are your intentions toward her?”

“My intentions?” Loki asked. “I harbor no ill will toward her. I like her. I find her interesting, and she doesn’t wither in fear when I speak to her.”

Thor studied his brother, rather surprised by Loki’s response. Loki didn’t particularly care for Midgardians, so his interest in this one girl was a bit baffling.

“Yes, it surprises me, too,” Loki replied with a soft chuckle at Thor’s expression.

“Please, Loki, have a care how you treat her.”

“I have no intention of hurting her,” Loki said, firmly, “Nor frightening her. So, you and Stark do not need to interfere or worry.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Lyssa was in the food court, at her usual table. She was studying from her tablet instead of a book this time and was so intent that she didn’t know that Loki was there until her hair tumbled down around her shoulders.

Loki grinned at her as he pocketed her clip. She smoothed her hair and flipped it to her back, then smiled at him.

“There you are,” she said, taking a sip of her drink.

“I must have missed you yesterday,” he said. “I didn’t see you.”

“I was here,” she replied, eating some of her salad.

“I’ll be right back,” he told her.

“Okay.”

Loki went to get himself a coffee and was standing in line, when he overhead the two men in front of him talking to each other. He wasn’t interested in the conversation until he realized that they were talking about Lyssa.

“Who’s that?” one asked. “She’s cute.”

“She is but you don’t want to mess with her,” was the reply.

“Why’s that?”

“Because she’s—“

“ _Mine_.” Loki’s voice was a near snarl.

The two men turned, startled, and would later swear that Loki had been wearing his armor and golden helmet. They wasted no time in abandoning their spot in line and getting as far away as possible.

Loki got his drink and returned to Lyssa’s table. She offered him a sandwich that she’d gotten for him, in case he showed up.

“Thank you,” he said, eating. “Do you eat these every day? They can be incredibly boring.”

“It’s just something quick,” she replied. “Most times I eat leftovers in my apartment.”

“I see,” he said, making a face after trying a pickle. “And where is your apartment?”

Lyssa looked at him speculatively. He seemed so nonchalant as he tasted the chips she’d given him and then pushed them away. She suppressed a grin when she realized what he was trying to do.

“I’m not sure that I’m ready for you to know that yet,” she said. “Would you like to try this fruit?”

He chuckled and accepted the container, finding that he liked the fruit much better than the pickle and chips.

“What’s the deal with my hair?” She then asked.

“It looks better down,” he replied.

“But it gets in the way.”

“I like it better down,” he told her.

Loki reached up to take a strand and then let it slide through his fingers. He didn’t touch her anywhere else, but a shudder went through her and she prayed that he didn’t feel it.

Just then Lyssa’s phone buzzed and she looked at it quickly before putting it down.

“Work?” He asked.

“Nope. My appointment in the library.” She said.

“Library? There’s a library?” Loki was immediately interested.

“On the eighteenth floor. My badge only gets me to the fifteenth one, so I have to have an escort.”

“I didn’t know that there was a library,” Loki stood up. “Let’s go, then.”

Lyssa grabbed her satchel and put her trash into the wastebin. Loki followed her to the escalator and then the elevator.

“I usually take the stairs but I don’t feel like trudging up eighteen flights today,” she told him. “So, we’ll risk the elevator.”

Loki nodded with a soft laugh. The car was empty when they stepped on and Lyssa pressed a button on the panel, then held her watch up to a sensor. The elevator went straight to the eighteenth floor without stopping.

When the doors opened, they were met by a security guard, who looked at Lyssa’s badge. He didn’t acknowledge Loki at all before escorting them to the library door and leaving them.

Lyssa put her bag on a table and went immediately to the section that held the books she frequently used. Loki watched her for a moment while she pulled several from the shelves.

“Could I ask you to get that one for me?” She said hesitantly, pointing to a large one just out of her reach.

Loki pulled the book down, then carried it to the table for her. She set down the ones she carried and took her laptop out of her satchel.

“Thanks. I have a paper to research,” she told him. “So I’ll be here awhile.”

“It’s alright. I’ll find something to read and wait with you, if you have no objections?”

“Of course not,” she replied.

Loki browsed the shelves before finding something to his liking. He sat down in one of the comfortable chairs that were scattered throughout the library, which happened to give him a view of Lyssa, before beginning to read.

Lyssa saw where he chose to sit and realized that she was unlikely to get much done with him right there within sight. She put on a headset so that she could listen to music, hoping that it would help her concentrate.

She managed to work for almost two hours before stopping. Her neck was stiff from all the reading and typing she’d done, and her eyes were starting to cross. She stole at glance at Loki, who hadn’t moved from his chair once. She had felt his gaze on her several times, though.

When she start putting her things away, he got up and came to the table. Lyssa gathered the books she’d been using in order to return them to their shelves. Loki took a couple from her and followed her.

After putting the books up, Loki took her arm, causing her to look up at him curiously. He then put his hand on the side of her neck, with his thumb against the pulse there.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, eyes meeting his fearlessly.

“I want to kiss you,” he murmured, feeling the pulse in her throat accelerating.

“I’m not sure…..” she started to say, attempting to step back from him.

“I’m merely stating my intent, not asking permission, little one,” he said with a smile, his hand stopping her from moving.

Loki leaned down to kiss her, his hand still on her neck. He felt her grasp his wrist as she surrendered to him. Just when his free hand gripped her waist, the watch on his wrist vibrated, startling them both.

The message was clear: NO.

“It seems that I’m being chastised,” he sighed softly.

Loki reluctantly let her go, but not before trailing his fingers across her cheek. Lyssa’s heart was racing and she was sure that he could hear it.

“Come, I’ll escort you out.”

_Blasted cameras_ , she thought as she followed him on weakened knees.


	5. Chapter 5

Once again, Lyssa was sitting alone at her usual table in the food court, studying her book. She hadn’t seen Loki for a week by then; she figured that he was holed up in the library now that he’d found out about it. Or possibly had been warned to keep his distance.

She was not aware that he had been observing her from the next level up, taking care not to let her feel his gaze on her. He’d done that several times, without her being any wiser.

Loki watched as one of her colleagues sat down at her table, startling her. The other woman smiled at her and Lyssa was immediately on guard. He could see Lyssa’s discomfort and decided to go down to investigate.

“Yes?” Lyssa asked warily.

“Haven’t seen you in a while. Talk is that you’ve been keeping company with Thor’s brother.”

Lyssa didn’t like the sound of that and started putting her things into her satchel. She didn’t like gossip, plus she thought she’d left this kind of thing behind when she graduated high school.

“I’ve met him.”

“Met him?” The other woman laughed softly. “Word is that you were in his _bed_.”

Lyssa drew a sharp breath, wanting so badly to just slap that vicious smile away.

“What is it about you that interests him so?” The woman asked. “How was he?”

“I’m sure I don’t know, but maybe you should ask him if you get the chance,” Lyssa retorted. “And if there was anything between us, it would hardly be any of your business.”

“Ask me what? What business?”

Lyssa hadn’t realized that Loki had come up behind her until his voice startled her. She jumped and dropped her satchel, then picked it up, hoping to hide her blush. Loki could sense her upset though and frowned at the woman still sitting at the table.

“I have to go,” Lyssa whispered, then turned to walk away. He glanced after her, then turned back to the table.

“You had a question for me?” He asked, almost in challenge.

“It wasn’t important.” To her credit, she did manage to not run from him, but she walked away very quickly, leaving him alone in the middle of the food court.

******

Lyssa had returned to her apartment after fleeing the food court. She didn’t have to return to work until Monday, so she decided to quietly get drunk. She wasn’t sure how anyone knew about her being in Loki’s room, but they obviously didn’t have the whole story, not that it mattered to gossips.

She was rather concerned with how Loki would regard it, although he was obviously interested in her, if that kiss in the library was any indication.

She was more than halfway through a bottle of whiskey when someone knocked on her door. By that time, she’d been reduced to drinking directly out of the bottle instead of trying to pour it into a glass.

She went to the door and opened it, then stared before trying to close it in Loki’s face. He put one hand out and easily kept her from slamming it shut, even when she tried throwing her body weight against it.

“I can do this all night, my dear,” he told her with a laugh.

“Hell’s bells,” she sighed, turning and walking back to the living room, bottle in hand, leaving him to close the door behind him. “How did you...never mind.”

“I came to check on you,” He said, taking note of the gown that she wore, along with the fact that it left her legs bare. Her hair covered her shoulders, plus part of her face. “Have you been drinking?”

“ _Am_ drinking,” she informed him. “Present tense, not past tense.”

“Noted. Now, _why_ are you drinking?”

Lyssa walked to the large window that overlooked the city and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Loki came to stand beside her and could tell that she was extremely intoxicated. How she managed to remain upright and coherent was beyond him.

“Here I was, happily living my drab little life, keeping my head down, staying out of the way...until you crossed my path,” she said, turning her head to look at him. “Because of you, Tony Stark, Captain America and Thor all know my name. Do you realize how hard it is to stay off the radar when three of the Avengers know who you are?”

Lyssa closed her eyes, pressing her temple against the glass before tipping the bottle to her lips again.

“But, you know what?”

“What?” He asked softly.

“It’s not so bad, I guess, except for the gossip going around.”

Loki was surprised when she reached over and gently patted his chest. Lyssa turned with her back to the window. When she raised the bottle again, he firmly slipped it from her fingers.

“Was this full when you started?” He asked as he studied the bottle.

“Hmmmm.”

“And you’re still able to stand?” He was rather impressed. “What is this?”

“Tennessee whiskey. Have some….I have another bottle….”

“I believe that you’ve had quite enough to drink.” Loki told her.

“Oh, no, not near enough. Not _nearly_ enough.”

Lyssa pushed herself away from the window, took a deep breath, then started toward the kitchen in a fairly straight line. Once again, his attention was fixed on her retreating form and he mentally shook himself.

“Sit on that cushion while I….” her voice was covered by the sounds of her looking through the cabinets.

Loki watched her for a moment, then held his breath when she stretched to reach something, which caused the gown to hike up. He sat down on the thick cushion that she’d indicated so that he could lean back against the sofa and put the bottle onto the coffee table.

“Do you have a robe?”

“Sure.”

“Get it.”

“Okay.”

A moment later, something soft hit his face and fell into his lap. Her robe. He barely managed not to laugh. Lyssa came back from the kitchen with another bottle of whiskey. She set it down, knelt at his hip, then picked up the robe.

Loki was bemused when she spread it across his chest, measuring it against him. She bit her bottom lip while she struggled to stay upright.

“I’m not sure why you asked for this, it’d never fit you,” she told him. “You might could get one arm through.”

“It wasn’t for me, pet, it’s for you.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Actually, I rather think you do.”

“Nope.” She threw it out of reach, toward the window. “Hey, it’s snowing.”

The sudden movement made her sway and grasp at his chest. When Loki steadied her, Lyssa turned her attention back to him, then slowly raised her hand to his cheek. The backs of her fingers lightly touched him and he allowed her to explore his face and hair.

“Such fetching eyes,” she breathed.

“Tell me why you’re so upset,” he said.

“You just have to listen,” she whispered, plucking anxiously at his shirt.

Loki placed his hands over hers as she rested them on his chest again and held her gaze. Lyssa took a deep breath, then leaned forward slowly. Her lips touched his so lightly that he barely felt them, but he _did_ feel the shockwave that went through him.

One of his hands went to the back of her neck while the other rested on her hip. Loki kissed her back, gently, finding that she tasted like the whiskey she’d been drinking. She gasped softly when his grip on her hip tightened and he immediately relaxed his fingers.

He pulled her over onto his lap and held her. Loki pushed hair out of her face, then ran his fingers over her cheek, caressing her lightly. His thumb traced her lips in fascination before he kissed her. Lyssa’s eyes closed and he felt her hand stroke the hollow of his throat.

“That’s nice,” she murmured, before going limp.

“Let’s get you to bed.”

He got up easily without disturbing her and carried her to the bed. Once again, he brushed the hair out of her face after arranging her comfortably.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Lyssa staggered to the door to stop the incessant knocking that was adding to the dreadful pounding in her head. She pulled it open, then leaned against it.

Tony stared at her before giving Thor an astonished glance. Lyssa was very obviously hung over, and her hair was a tangled mess, obscuring most of her face. She still wore her short gown and conceivably nothing else.

“Have you seen Loki?” Thor finally asked, trying not to stare at those legs.

Lyssa flinched at the sound of his deep voice and her hands went to her temples. She put her finger to her lips, then motioned them in. They followed her after she turned without a word and walked toward her sofa.

“He’s still sleeping, in there,” she waved her arm to indicate the bedroom. “I kept him up all night.”

“What?” Tony was flabbergasted.

“Before you get any ideas, I was up all night puking my guts out and he complained the whole time. It wasn’t pretty.”

Lyssa sat on her couch, then promptly fell sideways. Just then Loki came into the room, tucking his shirt into his waistband and smoothing his hair back.

“I hesitate to ask what happened here,” Thor said.

“She drank, she fought, she made her ancestors proud,” Loki said with a laugh.

Lyssa groaned softly. “Redneck Scottish ancestors.”

“I’ve no idea what that means,” Loki said before Tony or Thor could ask.

He went to the window and opened the blinds, causing Lyssa to grope for the blanket that was on the back of the sofa. She pulled it over her head and curled up into a ball.

“God, my _hair_ hurts….close it!” She yelped, then groaned. “Loki, please.”

“Lyssa, pet, have you seen my belt?”

They could see movement under the blanket before one slim arm came out and tossed his belt in his general direction. Then she pointed at the door.

Loki walked over to her and tugged on the blanket in order to cover her legs. She was dangerously close to giving his brother and Stark a view of what was underneath her gown (which was nothing). She swatted at his hands until he finished, then grabbed his pant leg and yanked to get his attention.

“Did you close the blinds?” Her voice was muffled.

“Yes,” he replied.

Lyssa pushed the blanket away from her head to find that he’d done no such thing. The sun shining off the snow was like a spotlight in her eyes.

“Ooh, you _liar_.”

She kicked the blanket away and tried to get up but only succeeded in collapsing to her knees. Thor struggled hard not to laugh while Tony was hopelessly fascinated by the situation.

“Out. Just out.” Lyssa raised an arm and pointed to the door.

“See you later?” Loki asked.

“Fine.” She waved toward the door again, more forcefully. “But much later.”

******  
Later that afternoon

“Come in.”

Loki cautiously opened the door to Lyssa’s apartment. He could see her sitting in the floor in front of the window, watching the snow. She had brushed her hair and braided it and he saw that she had dressed, although she now wore a sweatshirt and sweatpants that were too loose on her. He found that he rather missed the gown that she’d had on earlier that day.

“Do you let just anyone in because they knock?” He asked, sitting beside her.

“Of course not,” she replied, raising a glass to her lips.

“How did you know who was at the door, then.”

“I’ve been here a year and the only people that have been in this apartment were the movers,” she replied. “Until yesterday. Then along comes both princes of Asgard and my employer. Who else would it be?”

She gave him a soft smile before refilling her glass. Loki reached for the bottle and glass, which she tried to keep away from him. He was only able to get the bottle, which was mostly empty.

“How much more have you had to drink since I left this morning?”

“This is the last of it.”

“Pity.” He quickly drained the remainder of the liquid in it before setting it aside.

“Yes, well, it’s a good thing that there’s a liquor store that delivers, and they’re on their way,” she replied, giving him a knowing smile. “I know you swiped the other bottle.”

Loki started to say something but changed his mind. He had an idea what was bothering her, just from the partial conversation he’d overheard between Lyssa and the other woman in the food court.

“It’s not your fault,” she said quietly, reaching over to pat his knee. Once she realized what she’d done, she yanked her hand away.

“What is it?” He asked.

“I kissed you last night...didn’t I?” She asked, eyes wide.

“Yes,” he replied with a smile.

“Did I do anything else?” She was afraid to hear the answer. _Because_ _I_ _really_ _wanted_ _to_ _climb_ _you_ _like_ _a_ _Georgia_ _pine_.

“What was that?” He asked with a surprised tone.

“I didn’t say anything,” she said quickly, choking on a swallow of whiskey.

“Yes, you did.” His gaze was too discerning. “But you did ask me to stay, so I did. So now if anyone says that we’ve slept together, it will technically be the truth.”

“I guess lies don’t bother you as much,” she murmured.

Lyssa dropped her head in embarrassment and played with the glass that she still held. Loki took it from her, setting it aside before reaching over to easily lift her and place her into his lap. He held her firmly when she would have moved away from him, then tilted her face up in order to kiss her again.

Then she found herself lying on the floor with him propped up on one elbow. Loki gathered her hair in his hand, letting it slide through his fingers until he spread it out to one side.

“One of us is going to be in so much trouble,” she whispered, gliding her hands down his back. “And it’s gonna be me because Trouble is your middle name.”

He smiled and leaned down to nibble at her ear, then the side of her neck. Lyssa arched her neck to give him more access and felt his hand slide down her leg to her knee. His thigh pressed against her core as he slowly brought her leg up so that it rested around his hip.

They both jumped when her doorbell rang. Loki reluctantly let her go and they both sat up.

“I ordered food as well as the whiskey,” she said, smoothing his hair back.

She then rolled to her feet and went to answer the door. The delivery person set her order on the counter and waited while she paid him, then gave him a handsome tip.

She closed the door behind him and started spreading out the items in the packages.

“Are you hungry?” She asked Loki.

“Always,” was the reply.

“Move to the coffee table and I’ll bring it there.”

Loki took both cushions to the coffee table and waited. Lyssa brought two plates with thick prime ribs on them, then made another trip to get the salads, potatoes and bread, with one last trip for tea and water.

“I ordered enough for two, in case you showed up. If you didn’t, then I could warm it over later,” she said, answering his unspoken question.

Before she could sit down, her doorbell went off again. This time it was the delivery from the liquor store.

“Ah, reinforcements.” She set two bottles of whiskey onto the counter. “Do you want some with your meal?”

“No, leave that there. You’ve had more than enough.”

Lyssa shrugged and joined him at the table again. She served him some salad, then helped him fix the baked potato with butter. He copied her in pouring au jus over the meat.

“You can use it all or save some for dipping, which is what I do,” she told him. “You may like the sour cream on your potato but I don’t.”

Loki hummed in pleasure at his first bite of the meat and she smiled.

“How long have you been here?” She asked.

“Just a few weeks.”

“Did you bring your armor with you?”

“Why would you ask that?” He stopped eating and looked at her intently.

“I’m just curious. I saw some photos of you wearing it and thought it was impressive.”

She had to be referring to what had been dubbed “The Battle of New York” he realized, when he’d attempted to conquer Earth a few years ago. It was not something that he wanted to talk about.

“That’s in the past,” she told him softly, as if reading his mind. “I’m only curious about the armor. And the helmet.”

Loki studied her in silence for several minutes, during which time her gaze never wavered from his. He finally nodded and returned to his meal.

“I have it but not that helmet,” he replied. “I have a different one now.”

“Could I see it sometime? If you’re comfortable with it?”

Without a word, he held out his hand and the helmet materialized after a light flash of green. Lyssa reached out to touch it but then drew her hand back.

“May I?”

“Careful, it’s heavy.”

He allowed her to take the helmet from him and she found that it _was_ heavy. She quickly held it in both hands and examined it carefully while he watched her.

“Try it on,” he told her with a grin.

“Really?” She said before raising her arms to place it onto her head.

They both laughed when it slipped down her brow to cover her eyes. She tilted her head up so that she could view him from under the brim, then took it off to give it back.

“I imagine the armor is heavy, too.”

“I’ve worn it so long that I don’t notice, but you’d never be able to wear it,” he winked.

“I’d like to try it one day, if you’d allow it,” she replied. “You might be surprised.”

“That would be interesting to see.”

They finished eating and Lyssa quickly cleared the dishes away. Loki remained sitting on the floor, watching her. He pulled her into his lap once again when she came to join him. This time, he had her sit with her back against his chest. He adjusted his position until he was cross legged, effectively cradling and trapping her there.

“Now, where were we?” He asked, sliding his hands along her ribs until his arms circled her.

“You were going to let me try on your armor,” she replied, crossing her arms across his and rubbing the backs of his hands.

“Was I?”

“Mmm.” She yawned softly, relaxing against him. “Sorry, I think the lack of sleep from last night is catching up with me.”

“It’s alright. Go to sleep if you’re tired.”

“Don’t leave me.”

“I won’t.”

Loki sat still for a long time, just holding her. When she shivered from cold, he snagged the blanket from the sofa and covered her up. He did allow his hands to slip under her shirt in order to caress her skin. She was so warm and soft and he was sorely tempted to wake her.

“Loki.”

When she whispered his name, he found that his hands had strayed farther than he meant to. She was still sleeping but had moved into his touch.

Without disturbing her, he got up and carried her into her bedroom. Once they were both undressed, he slid under the covers beside her and pulled her into the curve of his body, savoring her warmth and scent.


	7. Chapter 7

When Lyssa woke early the next morning, she found herself facing him and wrapped in his arms. One leg was hooked over hers, immobilizing her. She could move one hand, so she reached up to gently touch his cheek. 

Loki’s eyes blinked open slowly at her touch and he took a deep breath. 

“I need to get up for a few minutes,” she whispered. 

He let her go and sleepily rolled to his back. When she left the bed, he immediately missed her warmth. Once she returned, she leaned over him and kissed his cheek, then squeaked softly when he pulled her down against him. 

“That will never do,” he said before guiding her mouth to his. 

When Lyssa’s hair fell forward, Loki gathered it in one hand and wrapped it around his wrist, using it as leverage to control her head. After a moment, he rolled her beneath him all the while keeping hold of her hair. 

He kissed her until she was breathless, then turned his attention to her neck. Her nails lightly raked his shoulders and arms. He then drew back to look at her. 

Lyssa reached up to stroke his cheek, saw a tiny scar on his forehead and carefully traced it. 

“What happened here?”

“Thor head butted me,” he replied, watching her intently. 

“Why would he do that?”

“Because I stabbed him.”

“Well, I guess he had reason. Does that happen often?”

“More often than you’d think,” he said, closing his eyes while she caressed his face. 

“Brothers, am I right?” She sighed. 

“I suppose.”

Lyssa’s fingers slid through his hair and she tugged, bringing him down for another kiss. He obliged her while allowing one hand to stroke her side, hip, then thigh. His fingers found the back of her knee, then he brought her leg up so that he could press against her warmth. 

Loki savored the taste of her mouth but he wanted more. He moved over her and groaned softly when she wrapped herself around him, then he slowly thrust into her. Lyssa bit his shoulder, then soothed the spot with her tongue. 

“By the Nine, woman, you were made for me,” he murmured, holding still with great effort. 

Lyssa’s teeth nipped at his lower lip teasingly, bringing a low growl from him. His hands went under her shoulders as he began to move within her. Lyssa closed her eyes, concentrating on the feel of him. 

“Look at me,” he told her. “I want to see you when you come undone for me.”

He felt her quiver at his words, then saw a slight blush on her cheeks as she obeyed him. Her hands gripped his hair hard as his thrusts became rougher, bringing her to pleasure quickly. 

She’d barely caught her breath before he started again, causing her short nails to bite into his back. She climaxed again and he followed her, collapsing onto her, panting softly against her neck. 

Lyssa let go of his hair to slide her fingers through it, gently soothing his scalp. 

“Sorry if I pulled too hard,” she whispered. 

“You could never,” he replied. 

She hugged him fiercely when he started to move away from her, not wanting to lose the feel of him. Loki kissed her neck again. 

“Let me go, little one, I’m too heavy.”

Lyssa reluctantly complied but turned to put her head on his chest and a leg across him once he’d settled in at her side. His arms circled her tightly before they both relaxed in sleep. 

He woke her a bit later with soft kisses against her neck and ear. Lyssa raised a hand to his hair to draw him closer, once again wrapping her limbs around him as he settled in the cradle of her thighs. 

She arched under him when he finally pressed into her, moving gently this time, prolonging her release until she bit and scratched at him. Lyssa kept her gaze on his face, watching his eyes darken, until he put his forehead against hers when he reached his own high. 

His dark hair fell into their faces, with a few strands sticking to the sweat on his skin. Loki then raised his head, kissing her languorously. 

Lyssa reached up, brushed his hair back, then again traced his face with her fingertips. Her touch was soothing, and Loki again closed his eyes and leaned into it.

“What is it about you that draws me?” He asked softly, more to himself than to her. 

Her hands ran across his shoulders, then down his upper arms while he rested against her. Loki then shifted until his head was on the center of her chest, removing most of his weight from her. His hands slid under her shoulders while Lyssa’s fingers brushed through his hair again before she began to gently play with it. 

They stayed that way for a while longer, drowsing, until her stomach growled. Lyssa felt his smile against her skin, but otherwise he didn’t move. 

“Ready for breakfast, are you?” He murmured. 

“Hmmmm, when you are. I’d want to shower first,” she replied, combing her hands through his hair. “There’s really no rush, I could stay like this for a while longer.”

“I think your stomach would disagree,” he chuckled, when it growled again. 

Lyssa reluctantly let him go, and sat up when he did. She smoothed her hair back over her shoulders while rubbing her eyes sleepily. 

“So, shower?” She asked. “I think we will both fit.”

“If I were to join you, pet, it would be awhile before you get to eat,” he replied, with a grin. “You go ahead.”

“Alright, then.”

Loki watched while she crawled off the bed, getting another gown before going into the bathroom. He laid back when he heard the water start, then stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. 

He was tired, but pleasantly so. He still wasn’t sure what drew him to Lyssa, but decided that it was partly because she hadn’t been afraid of him, she was gentle, vulnerable and a little insecure about how others thought of her. Normally, he would exploit what he’d usually consider weaknesses, but had found himself fiercely protective of her and…..jealous. 

He’d nearly ripped through the two men in the food court like tissue paper once he’d heard them discussing her. Luckily, he’d controlled his temper and only frightened them off. If he’d acted on his first impulse, heads would have rolled, literally, and he knew he would have been held accountable, thus ruining the second chance he’d been given. 

Loki was still deep in thought when Lyssa started to emerge from the bathroom. She stopped at the door to watch him, not wanting to disturb him. From the serious look on his face, she thought he might be unhappy, and maybe had second thoughts about her. 

“Hey,” she said, hesitantly, not moving from the door. “Is everything alright?”

He turned his gaze to her, smiling. Lyssa walked over to him and perched on the side of the bed, then took his hand. 

“Are you having regrets?” She asked. “You can tell me, it’s alright.”

Loki heard the doubt in her voice and felt her disquiet. He took a deep breath before raising her trembling hand to his lips. 

“Everything is fine and I have no regrets whatsoever about you,” he replied, firmly. “And you?”

“None,” she responded. “Except….I don't think I have enough groceries to feed you.”

She gave him an impish grin, causing him to laugh out loud. He reached up to caress her cheek before sitting up. 

“The shower is yours,” she told him. “I’ve set out towels for you and the soap, shampoo, conditioner are all within easy reach. I’m going to see what I can round up for brunch.”

“Brunch?” He asked. 

“Breakfast and lunch all rolled into one. We’ve, uh, slept late today.”

Loki laughed again when she winked before leaving him alone. He watched her walk away, admiring the view, before getting up to head to the bathroom


	8. Chapter 8

When Loki went into the kitchen, Lyssa was bustling about, cooking. She’d changed into shorts and a long tee shirt and had braided her hair. Whatever she was cooking smelled good, and he felt his own stomach growling. 

She turned when he sat at the breakfast bar, giving him a smile. She put a plate of toast and scrambled eggs in front of him, along with sliced fruit and various meats. 

“I’m also making pancakes, but figured I’d give you a head start,” she told him. 

Loki laughed softly. “Thanks.”

After a few minutes, she put a plate with a super stack of pancakes down in front of him, took three for herself, then sat down beside him. He watched while she poured maple syrup over hers and followed suit. 

Once they finished eating, Lyssa quickly cleaned the kitchen and started to join him again but he stopped her. 

“There’s a surprise for you on the bed.”

“What?”

“Go look.”

Lyssa gave him a curious look before going to the bedroom door, then she turned and smiled excitedly at him. 

“Go ahead. Let me know if you need help.”

Lyssa closed the door behind her and Loki got up to move to the couch but a knock at the door stopped him before he sat down. He answered it and pulled it open to allow Thor in. 

“Brother,” Thor greeted him, with a smile. 

“What brings you here?” Loki asked. 

“Nothing, I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to check on you and your new friend.”

“You live in the same building, brother,” Loki replied drily. 

Thor grinned at him as he walked past him into the apartment. Loki sat down, with Thor joining him. 

“So?” Loki prompted. 

“Really, I came by on a whim. She wasn’t feeling very well yesterday morning.”

“She’s much better,” Loki replied, thinking back on how they’d spent the morning. 

“Good.” Thor nodded, sitting back. “Did you…...”

He was interrupted when Lyssa emerged from the bedroom, wearing Loki’s armor and helmet. She had her head down, trying to fasten a buckle and keep the helmet from slipping off her head at the same time. Thor stared at her, then glanced over at Loki, who avoided his eyes. 

“See, Loki?” She said. “It’s not so bad, but I’m not sure that I have it….fastened….correctly…..”

Her voice trailed off when she saw Thor’s thunderstruck expression. Loki coughed behind his hand, waiting on his brother’s reaction while Lyssa shifted from one foot to another. 

“Ohhh...I gonna just….” She motioned back toward the bedroom and started to back away. 

“No, wait, it’s alright,” Loki choked out. “Come here and I’ll help you.”

Lyssa shuffled over to him. The pants were too long and she’d rolled the cuffs under, not wanting to crease the leather, and a tightly-cinched belt held them up. The sleeves were also too long and covered her hands completely. 

Loki rolled the cuffs under at her wrists, then corrected the placement and fasteners for a couple of the armor pieces. 

“There, you almost had it. Now, go back over there so that we can see you better.”

Lyssa obeyed, after adjusting the helmet again. She glanced between the brothers for a moment. 

“Well?” She asked, putting her hands on her hips. “How do I look?”

“Fierce,” Thor replied, with a smile. 

“You’re not going to tell anyone about this, are you?” She asked him, rather hesitantly. 

“I don’t know that they’d believe me,” he chuckled. “I’m not quite sure that I believe it myself.”

Loki made a rude noise, which caused Lyssa to laugh softly and almost lose the helmet. 

“Ok, this is starting to get heavy, so I’m going to take it off now.”

Lyssa carefully made her way back to her bedroom and closed the door. Once she was gone, Thor looked over at Loki, who waited rather uneasily for the ridicule to start. 

“She wanted to try it on,” he finally said, with a shrug. 

“Brother, I have never known you to allow anyone to wear your armor.”

“Yeah, well,” Loki shrugged again. “There’s always a first for everything.”

“True,” Thor said thoughtfully, scratching his beard. 

Thor had seen several ‘firsts’ from Loki over the last few weeks: the first time he’d shown interest in a mortal woman, kiss one, then spend several nights with one. 

But then to let her put on his armor? That was unheard of. It was obvious that he was attached to her now, and Thor was rather curious to see what would become of it, as long as his brother treated her gently. It would be too easy for Loki to dominate her, without meaning to. 

“I will leave you now,” Thor finally said, as he rose to his feet. “Please tell her goodbye for me.”

Loki nodded before closing and locking the door after him. He then went into the bedroom to find that Lyssa still had on most of the armor; she had taken off the pants and now studied herself in a mirror. His tunic reached almost to her knees, creating a short skirt. 

“It’s not so heavy now,” she told him as she turned slightly to face him. 

Loki looked her over, enjoying the view of her bare legs and feet. Seeing her in his clothes was insanely sexy, and she took a couple of steps back when he slowly walked toward her while unbuttoning his shirt. 

“Thor…” she started. 

“Has left,” he interrupted her, reaching out to put his hands on her hips so that he could pull her to him. 

“Oh.” Lyssa reached up with one hand to hold onto the helmet that she still wore as she looked up at him. “I did want to ask him something….but it can wait…”

Loki put his arms around her, lifting her and then carrying her to the bed. She still held onto the helmet, not daring to let it hit the floor. Once he’d laid her down, she carefully put it on his head as he leaned over her. 

“It looks better on you,” she told him, brushing his hair away from his eyes. 

“And my armor looks delightful on you,” he replied, pulling away long enough to undress. “No, leave it.”

Lyssa had started to remove the armor, but stopped when he caught her hands. She laid back when he joined her once again, bracing himself on his elbows. Loki’s intense gaze scanned her face, watching her while his body claimed hers. 

She caught her breath and Loki dropped his forehead to hers, breathing raggedly. Lyssa tugged her hands free in order to touch his jaw and neck while he began to move against her, almost urgently. 

Her touch was gentle, her fingertips soothing on his skin before she slid them through his hair, being careful not to disturb the helmet. She kissed him, drawing a low growl from him, which in turn caused her to smile against his lips. 

“Minx,” he muttered, turning his head so that he could graze his teeth along her jaw, then to her neck. 

He concentrated on bringing her pleasure upon her, with the soft mewling sounds she made driving him near mad with desire. Then she shuddered underneath him, her limbs holding on for dear life as he reached his own release, collapsing against her, his face buried in her neck. 

“That was intense,” she whispered, when she’d finally caught her breath. 

Loki didn’t move, but she felt his lips press almost imperceptibly against her neck. In turn, she caressed the back of his neck, underneath his hair, then her touch moved to his shoulders. He finally raised his head so that he could kiss her.

“I had no idea what seeing you in my armor would do to me,” he said, with a low chuckle. 

Lyssa smiled, hugging him as hard as she could, bringing a contented sigh from him. He set his helmet aside in order to bury his face into her neck again so the he could breathe in her scent and felt himself relax while she rubbed his scalp.


	9. Chapter 9

Lyssa continued to caress Loki’s head while he dozed, with half his weight on her. Whenever she stopped, he’d rouse slightly, so she kept up the motion, sensing that he enjoyed the comfort. 

“What did you want to ask Thor?” He finally asked, sleepily. 

“Thanksgiving is in two weeks and I thought I might cook dinner here and invite you and him.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “I need to plan, because it means lots of food…”

“Food?” He asked. 

“As much as you can eat….”

“Thor and I can eat a lot,” he told her. 

She grinned at his soft laugh. “I’m sure, but I thought that maybe Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes might like to join us as well. Mr. Stark would probably want a better type of food than what I’m used to making. Come to think of it, you and Thor may not like it at all. I may have to rethink this…”

“Thor and I will eat whatever you choose to prepare and not complain. If anyone else does, they will answer to us,” he told her. 

“Alright.” Lyssa ran her hand lightly down his arm, relishing the feel of taut muscle beneath the smooth skin. “Oh, I almost forgot. I’ll be gone for two days while I take my bar.”

“Take your bar where?” 

She realized that he didn’t understand what she meant and hid a smile. 

“I’m studying to be a lawyer and I have to pass the bar exam before I can become one. I’ve been studying for years, the longest, most expensive years of my life.”

Loki shifted his position until he could prop up on an elbow and look down at her. Lyssa reached up to stroke his chest with both hands. 

“I hope to get hired here, but there are are lots of students here with the same goal. Some are way smarter than me.”

“I find that hard to believe,” he replied, running the pad of his thumb along her jaw. 

“Thank you, Trouble, but it’s true.”

He grinned at the name she’d used and she raised her eyebrows at him impishly. Loki kissed her quickly before rolling to his back and stretching hard, with Lyssa watching in fascination. 

“What are you thinking?” He asked with a laugh. 

“I’m thinking I need a bigger bed.”

“We could always go to my suite,” he replied. 

“You’re forgetting that I don’t have security clearance to go up there,” she told him. “And I really don’t have business there, other than you.”

He smiled as he reached over to run his hand up and down her thigh. 

“So, I’ll be gone all day tomorrow and be back Tuesday evening.” She told him. “The test is at a conference center across town, so I’ll stay overnight. Mr. Stark is having company cars drive us there early in the morning.”

“Us?”

“Yeah, there are ten of us taking the exam.”

Loki nodded then pulled her down beside him, arranging her so that her head rested on his shoulder. Lyssa snuggled close, thinking that she didn’t want to spend even two days away from him. 

His arms tightened around her as if he had the same thought. They lay quietly for a long while, just enjoying each other’s company. 

“Tell me something about yourself, something that others might not know,” he requested. 

“What?” She asked, rather surprised. 

“Yes, come on.” He shook her slightly. 

“Give me a moment.” Lyssa thought carefully. “I have a temper and can get quite nasty.”

“No, I don’t see that at all,” he chuckled. 

“Well, it does take a lot to push me to the point where I get really angry. Even then, I want to avoid a fight if at all possible. But if I have to fight, I’ve been taught to fight dirty.”

“And who taught you this?”

“My brothers. I had to learn to defend myself from those two morons,” she grouched. “Let’s just say that I have no problem hitting a man where it hurts most, twice if need be.”

“Ouch.” Loki winced with a laugh. “I do hope I’m never on the receiving end of that.” 

“I don’t do catfights either. None of this scratching and hair pulling crap. I’m gonna throw punches and mess a face up,” she finished. “Is that what you had in mind?”

“Yes.” He squeezed her slightly. “Where are your brothers?”

“Still in Georgia. I don’t really talk to them any more.”

Loki sensed that she didn’t want to expand on that and let it pass. They slept a bit before she made dinner for them. Then he left her to get ready for the next day, after giving her a sweet parting kiss. 

***

The next morning, Lyssa got her things ready for the trip across town, then went down to the lobby where the cars were pick them up. Loki and Thor surprised her in order to see her off. She put her bag down and went over to them with a smile. 

“I didn’t expect to see you this morning,” she said, looking up at Loki. “Hi, Thor.”

“Good morning,” he replied, smiling at her. “Loki tells me these next two days are important for you, so I came with him to wish you luck.”

“That was nice of you.”

He winked at her, while Loki glanced over at the others who were also waiting for the cars. He recognized one of them as the woman who had upset Lyssa in the food court a few days ago, and who was looking over at them with an inscrutable expression. 

“Don’t mind her,” Lyssa whispered. “She’s just a bit jealous.”

“Hmmm,” Loki huffed softly. “She has no cause to be.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m standing here with two handsome men, and….she’s not.”

Thor laughed quietly while Loki turned his full attention to Lyssa. She had been careful not to hug or kiss him, unsure whether he wanted such a public display of affection. His green eyes glittered at her as he raised a hand to run a fingertip along her cheek. He then leaned down so that he could whisper in her ear. 

“I’ll wait until you get back to properly kiss you,” he murmured. “Among other things.”

Lyssa blushed and ducked her head while casting a sideways glance at Thor, who watched them both with a knowing smile. Loki then stepped back after tugging on a strand of her hair. 

“Deal,” she replied. 

“I have a little gift for you, for luck,” Loki told her, putting a thin gold bracelet on her wrist. 

“It’s beautiful, but not necessary. Thank you.”

Lyssa admired the gift until word came that the cars had arrived. 

“I’ll help you with your things,” Thor told her, walking with her. 

“Thanks.”

They stepped outside to the sidewalk and Thor gave her overnight bag to the driver, who put it into the trunk. 

“Good morning, Mr. Hogan,” Lyssa greeted the driver, who had a sour look on his face. 

“Oh, hi, Ms. McAlister,” he replied. “You ready for your test?”

“I sure hope so,” she said. 

“I’m sure you’ll do great,” was the response. 

“I’ll leave you now,” Thor told her, gently taking her hand and squeezing her fingers. “See you tomorrow when you get back.”

Lyssa nodded and got into the car, mentally cringing when the other woman got in and sat across from her. 

“Why didn’t your beau walk you to the car?”

“I heard he’s not allowed out of the building.” Someone else said. 

Lyssa rummaged through her bag and pulled out her headphone case and tablet, then very deliberately put the headphones on and ignored the comments. She watched something on her tablet, ignoring several not-so-gentle kicks to her ankle. Finally, she took off the headphones and glared at the other woman. 

“Why the hell are you kicking me? What are you, six?”

“Sorry, it was an accident.”

“Don’t do it again.”

Lyssa returned her attention to the video she had been watching, until she received another kick. She then jammed her things back into her bag. 

“You know, if we weren’t on a company trip, I would tear you up for that,” she said, angrily. “Zara, change places with me.”

“But I —“ Zara started to protest until she saw Lyssa’s expression. “Okay.”

Once Lyssa had taken her new spot, she knocked on the glass divider to get the driver’s attention. Happy Hogan rolled the divider down. 

“What? Someone forget something?” 

“Mr. Hogan, do me a favor and pull over up there.”

“What’d you forget?”

“I want out. I’ll get a cab to the conference center.”

“Uh-uh, I’m responsible for you all and I’m not putting you out.”

“Then I’d like to ride up there with you.”

“I don’t think so….”

“Please either put me out or let me up there with you.” Lyssa wasn’t going to take no for an answer. 

“Fine, just let me….okay, nevermind.”

Lyssa slid through to the front seat and promptly rolled the glass back up. 

“Bitch,” she muttered softly. 

“Trouble?” Happy asked. 

“Not yet,” Lyssa replied. “Hey, can you control the heat or music from up here?”

“Sure.”

“Do you know how to play freeze out?” She asked with a wicked grin. 

“No…” Happy gave her a wary look. 

“Let me show you.”

Lyssa adjusted the heat settings for the back compartment, then rolled the windows down and locked them so that the others couldn’t roll them back up. She struggled hard not to laugh when the knocks on the window became more frantic after a few minutes. 

“They’re going to catch pneumonia,” Happy also had a hard time not laughing. “Better roll them back up and turn the heat back on.”

“Okay.” Lyssa finally gave in to a soft laugh. 

When they arrived at the conference center, Happy started setting out the bags from the trunk. 

“Hey, guys, sorry about the mishap with the heat and windows. I’ll have the garage look into that,” he told the other passengers, giving Lyssa a sly wink.


	10. Chapter 10

Tony was looking over some files when he received a text that made him laugh. Thor looked up at him curiously. 

“I believe your brother has a little hellcat on his hands.”

“What do you mean?”

Tony related what Happy had sent to him regarding the incident in the car, while he pulled the files on the people that were taking the bar exams. While he was looking them over, Loki came in and saw the photos that Jarvis was displaying. 

He recognized the woman that had gotten into the car with Lyssa and stopped at the desk to study the photo. 

“Who is that?” He asked. “There is something going on between her and Lyssa.”

“Anna something,” Tony replied. 

“Has something happened?”

“Nothing serious,” Tony shrugged. “Just a little skirmish in the car.”

Tony told him the story, but Loki was not amused at all. 

“I’ll not have her bothered by anyone,” he said, warningly. 

“Oh, I believe she can take care of herself.” Tony closed the files and leaned back in his chair. He glanced at his watch. “They should be starting the test about now.”

Loki nodded and went into his suite. He left the door open and Thor followed him in. 

“I know that the bracelet you gave her has a spell on it,” Thor said quietly. “What is it for?”

“Just something to help calm her.”

“And?”

Loki sighed while running his fingers through his hair. “Nothing much more than that. One to let me know if she gets anxious, and where she is. That’s all.”

“You know you can’t go to her, right?”

Loki nodded as he turned to face his brother. “But nothing says that I can’t use a double if needed.”

“True,” Thor replied. 

***

After the first half of the test was done, Lyssa went up to her room. She had been assigned to share with Anna, but had insisted on a room to herself, having to pay for it herself.

She started to order room service but decided to go down to the small pub in the lobby of the hotel. The others in her group were already there, but she went to sit at the bar by herself, avoiding them. 

She ordered her food and a drink, then looked through her phone while waiting. She was surprised to see a text from Tony, wishing her luck. 

“Are you too good to sit with us?” Anna’s voice at her elbow made her cringe. 

“I am tired and can do without the drama,” Lyssa replied. 

“So, you and Thor’s brother?”

Lyssa shook her head slightly and kept looking at her phone. 

“I’ve already told you that’s none of your business. I’d really like to be left alone now.”

“Doesn’t it bother you, knowing what he’s done?” Anna was determined to needle her. 

“Let’s not pretend that you wouldn’t just love to have his attention, regardless of what he may have done,” Lyssa retorted. “Now, leave me alone and let me eat in peace.”

***

Loki paced his living room as he felt Lyssa’s emotions escalate. She wasn’t in danger but she was angry, and he had a suspicion as to what the cause was. He was not aware that Thor had come to the door to let him know that the meal was ready but had stopped to watch him. 

“Brother? Is there trouble?”

“No,” Loki replied. “She’s just angry about something.”

“Would you like for me to ask Stark to send someone to check on her?”

“Thank you, but I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“Very well. I came to tell you the the food is ready if you’re hungry.”

“Alright.”

***

Lyssa finished her meal without further incident and returned to her room. After a hot shower, she emerged from the bathroom while brushing her hair. Suddenly an arm slid around her waist from behind while a hand covered her mouth, smothering the scream that had started in her throat.

“Shhh, it’s just me.”

She was shocked to hear Loki’s voice in her ear and it took her a moment relax. He loosened his grip so that she could turn to face him and she slid her arms around him. 

“I didn’t think you could leave — wait, how did you get in?” She asked, knowing that she had locked the door securely. 

“I’m still at Stark Tower, eating with him and Thor,” he said with a smile. 

“I don’t understand,” she replied. 

“I’m able to create duplicates of myself, and I’m multitasking,” he explained. 

“I didn’t know you could do that….you won’t get into trouble, will you?”

“I think Thor suspects what I’m doing, but I can’t cause too much mischief like this, and it can be rather draining.”

“Oh.” Lyssa pressed her cheek against his chest. “How did you know to come here? The bracelet!”

Loki laughed softly. “You are very astute.”

“I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t sleep well by myself last night.”

“Neither did I,” he replied. “I’ll stay as long as I can, but I wanted to be next to you tonight.”

“I’d like that, but don’t tire yourself out too much, okay?”

She felt him run his fingers through her hair as he laid his cheek against the top of her head. She finally pulled away and led him toward the bed. 

“Come on, Trouble, let’s cuddle, hmmm?”

***

Loki was gone when she awoke the next morning. She’d slept so soundly that she hadn’t known when he’d stopped the illusion; it had been so nice to go to sleep wrapped in his arms. 

She dressed quickly and packed her things, since they would be heading back to Stark Tower once the second half of the bar exam was completed. After a light breakfast, she went to the exam room to take her spot. 

*** ***

Later that afternoon, the cars returned to Stark Tower and dispersed the passengers. Lyssa rode in the front with Happy again, keeping him entertained during the drive. 

After he’d unloaded the overnight bags, he took hers into the building, an extra step that he didn’t do for anyone else, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the group, or by Thor who had come out to greet her. 

“Loki is over there, waiting,” he told her, watching as she looked around for him. “Let me get your bag.”

“Thanks.”

Thor led her toward where Loki was standing, and her steps quickened until she’d left him behind. Loki held out his hands to her, but was surprised when she put her hands on his shoulders and gave a leap that enabled her to wrap her arms around his neck, putting her at eye level with him.

“And that, gentlemen, is how you climb a Georgia pine,” she said, holding on when she felt Loki’s arms tighten around her.


	11. Chapter 11

Thor chuckled at her action and at Loki’s startled reaction before he’d put his arms around her to keep her from falling. Lyssa rubbed her cheek against Loki’s with her eyes closed. 

“We have an audience, pet,” he whispered, immediately regretting his words when she stiffened and let go of him. He kept hold of her, though, and her feet remained several inches off the floor. 

“Oh, oh, I’m sorry.” She blushed and stole a glance at Thor. 

“Not him, your coworkers,” Loki added, “but let them watch.”

Lyssa grinned at him, then rubbed her nose against his before he kissed her quickly then put her down. 

“Ms. McAlister!”

A voice caused them all to turn as Happy walked quickly over to them. 

“You forgot your coat.”

“Oh, thanks.” Lyssa took it from him and put it down on her overnight bag. 

“Thor, Loki,” Happy greeted them both with a nod. “Listen, if you ever need to go somewhere, let me know. I’d be glad to drive you.”

“That’s very kind of you, and coincidentally, I do need to go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Here’s my number, just let me know when.”

“Will do.” 

Lyssa tucked the business card into her back pocket before reaching down to grab up her coat and bag. Thor quickly took them from her while Loki guided her arm through his. 

“I’d invite you both to supper, but I don’t have a speck of food in my apartment. I’ve got to do some shopping.”

“That’s not a problem,” Thor told her. “You can come up and eat with us.”

Lyssa shook her head and started to pull away from Loki but he kept hold of her. 

“I don’t have clearance to go up there, remember?”

“It will be fine, with us as your escort. Come along.”

*** ***

When they arrived at the penthouse, Thor held the elevator doors open to allow Loki to practically pull Lyssa off of it. 

“I really don’t think I should be up here,” she whispered nervously. 

“Stark!” Thor called out. “We’ve brought a guest to dinner!”

Lyssa jumped slightly; Thor had barely raised his voice, but it carried. She wondered what it would be like if he’d actually yelled. 

“And who might that be?”

At the sound of Tony’s voice, Lyssa once again tried to pull her hand free from Loki’s arm but he continued to hold onto her. 

“Ah, Ms. McAlister,” Tony greeted her with a smile. “I’d expected you well before now.”

“I d-don’t have clearance to be up here,” she said, obviously anxious. 

“No biggie,” Tony shrugged it off. “Jarvis, please update Ms. McAlister’s clearances to include the penthouse...and Loki’s quarters.”

“Of course, sir,” the AI replied. “Welcome, Ms. McAlister.”

“Thank you.” 

“Come on, let’s eat. You’ve had a big day.” Tony motioned for them to follow as he went to the dining area. 

Loki pulled out a chair for her and she sat down, smiling slightly at Steve and his friend Bucky Barnes, who had both stood when Loki led her in. 

“The rest of the team is on a mission, so it’s just us right now.” Tony told her. “You’ve met Cap already, this is Sergeant Barnes.”

“Sergeant,” Lyssa greeted him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Same here, Ms. McAlister,” Bucky replied. “But please call me Bucky.”

“Bucky, then. “

Lyssa put her shaking hands under her legs while she waited for the food to be passed around. Loki could feel her nervousness through his enchantment on the bracelet he’d given her, but he didn’t really need it, he could see it for himself. He reached over and placed his hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“Ms. McAlister, I forgot to ask you about the black bear story,” Tony said, trying to make her at ease. 

“Oh, there’s really not much to it,” she replied, blushing slightly. 

“I’d like to hear it,” Steve said, with a grin. 

“Alright, then. I was out hiking around my parents’ house and came face to face with a bear and her cub. They both chased me, so I climbed the nearest tree, only to find that the cub had followed me. Its mama prowled below for three hours before it finally climbed down. There were several times where I’d thought I’d have to risk a jump into a nearby tree, especially if the mama started climbing. I’m not sure why she didn’t. It was pretty scary.”

“I bet.”

“How do you think you did on your bar?” Steve asked then. 

“It’s hard to say, but I'm glad it’s over with. I don’t think I could stuff one more piece of information into my brain and remember it.”

They all laughed at that, and Lyssa slowly relaxed as they continued to eat. 

“Didn’t you have something you wanted to ask them?” Loki asked, after a few minutes’ silence. 

“Oh, yeah,” she replied. “I’m planning on cooking Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to see if you’d be interested. I do need to shop and know how many want to come so that I can plan.”

“A genuine, home cooked Thanksgiving dinner?” Steve asked. “Turkey, stuffing, and the works?”

“Well, we don’t do ‘stuffing’ down South, but I think you’ll like the dressing,” she replied. 

“I’m definitely in.”

“Count me in,” Bucky added. 

“You can bring someone with you, if you like. I just want to have plenty of food,” she went on. “Mr. Stark, you and Ms. Potts are also invited.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Tony replied. “I’ll check our schedules and let you know.”

“And, Thor, you’re invited, too,” she said. 

“He would probably have come anyway,” Loki said, drily, in an effort to tease and insult his brother. 

“I wouldn’t have left him out,” Lyssa said, not realizing that Loki was actually teasing Thor. 

Loki smiled at her. “I wasn’t suggesting that you would have….”

“He was just taking a jab at me,” Thor assured her. 

“Oh. Okay, then.”

“Now,” Tony said, sitting back in his chair. “About the elephant in the room: what happened in the car yesterday morning?”

Loki actually winced when he felt Lyssa’s panic skyrocket and shot Tony a glare. She gasped at the question, and would have left if she’d been able to.

“It’s nothing really, Anna and I just don’t get along. She is the friend of a former roommate I had when I first got here. Things didn’t work out, so I moved. After she accused me of going after her boyfriend,” Lyssa explained. “As if I was interested in that loser.”

“Alright, then. If you have any further trouble with her, let me or HR know before it can get out of hand,” he said. “I’d hate for it to escalate.”

Tony gave Loki a meaningful look and Loki raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Yes, sir.”

*** ***

After they’d eaten, Lyssa got up to head back to her apartment. Loki took her bag from her and led her to his quarters. She was still uneasy about being in the penthouse and wanted to return to her own apartment. 

“I’d like for you to stay here tonight,” he said, closing the door firmly. “Are you working tomorrow?”

“No, I have the rest of the week off,” she replied, “I’m exhausted from studying and it feels so good to have the exam out of the way.”

“Good. You can rest here, then.”

Loki stood in front of her and tilted her face up in order to kiss her. She ran her hands up along his arms and across his chest before sliding her arms around him and simply hugging him. 

He placed his cheek on the top of her head and held her that way until he realized that she was half asleep. He shook her slightly to rouse her. 

“Come on, let’s get to bed, hmmm?”

“Tired,” she murmured. 

“I know. Come on.”

He led her into the bedroom, then helped her undress before tucking her into the large bed. She sighed deeply and was asleep by the time he joined her. He kissed her neck after pulling her close to him.


	12. Chapter 12

Very early the next morning, Lyssa woke and slowly sat up. It took a moment to realize where she was, after seeing Loki sleeping peacefully beside her. The moonlight filtered in through the windows, and she could see that he was on his back, one arm flexed above his head, and a foot sticking out from beneath the covers. 

She carefully left the bed and grabbed her overnight bag to take with her to the bathroom. When she returned, she eased back under the covers, noticing that Loki hadn’t moved. With a sigh, she propped up on an elbow to study his sleeping face. 

Lyssa reached up to brush a strand of his hair away from his brow before placing a soft kiss to his cheek. Then she laid her head on his shoulder and allowed her thumb to gently stroke his collarbone as she lulled herself back to sleep. 

At dawn, she woke again and got up to close the blinds. Loki hadn’t moved at all, she noticed when she returned to his side. Once again, she kissed his cheek and lightly stroked his jaw, then ran a hand across his chest. He didn’t move, but she thought that the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. 

Lyssa turned her head to rub her cheek against the inside of the arm that was still resting above his head. When she gently grazed his skin with her teeth, she felt his muscles tighten, and smiled to herself. 

“Are you playing possum?” She asked. 

He did move then, laughing softly. “I have no idea what that means.”

“I’ll explain later. I thought you were either multitasking again, or that you are incredibly hard to wake up.”

“I wanted to see what your intentions were,” he replied, pulling her closer. 

“My intentions?” She asked. 

“Hmmm.” 

His eyes widened a bit when she put a leg across him, then wriggled until she had straddled him, and then folded her arms across his chest. She gasped softly when his hands gripped her hips rather hard. 

“What do you think?” 

“I can’t be sure,” he said, looking thoughtful while hugging her knees closer to his sides. 

“I see.”

Lyssa sat up, drawing a low growl from him when her weight settled on him. He could feel her heat against him, and his hands then moved to her thighs. 

“I’m beginning to get the idea,” he murmured. 

“Am I being too subtle?”

“Perhaps.” His grin faded slightly when she slowly pulled her gown up and over her head. 

Lyssa watched as his eyes darkened before his hands slowly slid up her waist and ribs in order to cup both breasts, then he sat up wrap his arms firmly around her. 

“How about now? Still too subtle?”

“I think I’m beginning to get a grasp of the situation,” he replied, dropping his hands to her bottom and then squeezing. 

“I’d say so.” Her laugh was cut off by a fierce kiss. 

Lyssa’s hands went into his hair then, while she returned his kiss. Loki put a  
hand to the back of her neck to hold her so that he could roll her beneath him. He drew one leg around his hip as he propped up over her. 

Her nails bit into his back when he finally pressed into her and she writhed as he drove her into a frenzy. Her teeth nipped at his lip, and he grunted softly. 

“I am going to make you _scream_ , pet,” his voice was a low rasp. “No, no, look at me.”

Loki pulled her head away from his shoulder when she blushed and tried to hide her face, then both hands held her still. 

“Loki…” she protested. 

He ignored the tiny fist that struck his shoulder; it was like being hit by a child and just as negligible. He finally pushed her over the edge, and she did scream out when her climax hit her hard. Her fist struck him again when he reached his own high, and he pressed his lips to her temple, his breath harsh in her ear. 

Lyssa’s arm circled his neck and she held on tightly as he rested his weight on her before finally moving to her side and pulling the covers up over them. 

“We are not done yet,” he whispered. 

She was close to drifting off to sleep and quivered at his voice in her ear. He kissed her neck, feeling her relax when she did finally sleep. 

******

Over the next few days, Lyssa made a list of the things she would need for the dinner she was making. Happy drove her and helped her find stores that had the foods that she was looking for. She also invited him to Thanksgiving dinner. 

So far, she had only five guests, but four of them would likely eat enough for a party of eight. Tony and Pepper wouldn’t be able to attend, but he did say that he would stop by for dessert. 

Lyssa got her recipes together, checked her list, twice, and talked her manager into letting her have vacation until the week after the holiday so that she could start cooking early. 

She spent time with Loki in his suite, although she still wasn’t entirely comfortable being in the penthouse, still feeling like she didn’t belong there. They took turns sleeping in each other’s beds. His was so big that she seriously considered buying one for her apartment that he would be more comfortable in. 

Two days before Thanksgiving, she made the cakes and pies to get them out of the way. The challenge would be to keep Loki from eating them, since she’d discovered he had a massive sweet tooth. She had bought two turkeys and cooked one after the desserts were done so that the oven would be free for the second one. 

One day before Thanksgiving, she cooked the vegetable dishes, and prepared the rest of the items that she would cook the next morning. The second turkey then went into the oven to cook overnight. 

On Thanksgiving day, she was up before dawn to finish what she needed to do, and wondering why on earth she’d even wanted to put herself through this. Next year, she was ordering out, she decided. 

She was expecting everyone at twelve thirty, so she got everything ready to serve, except for the bread, and quickly showered and dressed. 

Loki and Thor arrived first, and early. She suspected that Loki wanted to get a head start on the dessert. 

“Alright, you two, you are not getting into the sweets just yet, or there won’t be anything left for the others. So, I have a little surprise for you.”

Lyssa took out an extra pie that she’d cut into quarters and gave them each a fork. 

“This is a bribe for you to behave,” she said, before setting it down in front of them, along with dessert plates. 

The others arrived just as she was taking the bread out of the oven. 

“Hi, Captain, Sergeant,” she greeted Steve and Bucky. “Almost done here. The princes have gotten just a bit of an early start.”

Thor and Loki had eaten the pie and were eyeing the others on the counter. 

“NO,” she said, brandishing a spatula at them. 

Thor grinned and backed away with his hands up, while Loki did not look threatened at all. Lyssa waved the spatula at him again, earning a arched eyebrow. 

Lyssa put the bread in a basket, then set it on the table. 

“Can we help?” Steve asked. 

“If you would carry the turkey to the table, that would be great,” she replied. 

She then started putting the vegetables and dressing into serving bowls, which Steve, Bucky and Happy took to the table. 

“Alright, there are two rules for my table,” she said, once everyone was seated and served. “Rule one: if you don’t like it, you don’t have to be polite and eat it. Rule two: one of those drumsticks is mine!”

That earned laughter from them, while her plate was passed back to her with a drumstick on it. Once she had her plate, the others waited for her to start eating before they did. She picked up the drumstick and took a bite. 

“Dig in, boys,” she said. 

And they did. Lyssa was pleased that she’d made enough food and that everyone seemed to be enjoying it. She refilled the bowls several times, also glad that her instinct had been correct that Thor, Loki, Bucky and Steve would have big appetites. 

Once the meal was done, she cleared the table in order to bring the desserts over, along with coffee. 

“Apple pie, chocolate cake and sweet potato pie,” she told them. “That’s how we do it in the South.”

*** 

“Grief, that was a lot of work,” Lyssa groaned, later as she threw herself across her bed. “But worth it. I think everyone enjoyed themselves.”

“They did, and the food was great,” Loki fell onto the bed beside her, causing her to bounce slightly. 

“Did you get enough to eat?”

“Plenty,” he replied. 

“Good.” She rolled onto her side to face him. “And everything tasted okay?”

“Darling, there was hardly any food left at all, especially after the soldiers and that Hogan fellow made off with leftovers.” He scolded her. “Stark took a whole sweet potato pie for himself and his woman.”

“I’ll make you another one, just for you,” she laughed. 

“Two, I want two,” he replied. 

“I’d better cook four, so that you and Thor don’t fight.”

“If I get to them first, there will be nothing to fight over.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember Lyssa’s brothers that she didn’t speak to anymore? Chapter 13 is a fitting chapter for them to show up, however briefly. Things do take a dramatic downturn here.

The Monday after Thanksgiving, Lyssa was feeling rather accomplished that her dinner had went off without a hitch, other than Loki getting miffed that Tony had taken the last sweet potato pie for himself. 

She was pleasantly tired, and the holiday was one of the happiest she’d spent in the years since her parents had passed away. She now believed she knew how her mother had felt after putting together such a meal and then having it so thoroughly enjoyed. 

She was at her desk in a small cubicle when her phone rang. She listened for a moment, the shock and dread making her near speechless. 

“Alright, I’ll be down in a few minutes. No, they’re allowed up to my apartment.”

She slowly put the receiver down then stared at her shaking hands before getting up slowly to tell her manager that she had a personal errand to run, and would be back as soon as she could. 

“Is everything alright?” Her manager didn’t like the look on her face. 

“Yes, yes,” Lyssa replied. 

“Do I need to call someone for you?”

“No need. Everything is fine.” 

_My brothers are here_ , she thought. _Why are they here?_

*** ***

Loki stalked out of his suite and headed straight to the elevator, punching the down button furiously, as if he could summon the car by sheer force of will. 

“Loki, what’s wrong?” Thor had caught the expression on Loki’s face and knew that something was up. 

“Is there a faster way to get this thing to open up?” 

*** ***

Lyssa stepped off the elevator on the ground floor and slowly walked to the guard station. There were two men waiting there, and she dreaded approaching them. They saw her coming and turned to face her. 

“It’s about time.”

“Hello to you, too, Scott,” she retorted. 

“We’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes,” the other man said. 

“Charles, I was at work. I can’t simply drop everything on a moment’s notice.”

Lyssa kept her distance from them, something that the security guard took notice of. He quietly sent a message for a couple more officers to join him. 

“We have something that needs your signature,” Scott told her, holding out a small packet of papers. 

“And you had to come all the way up here to hand them to me?”

“Just sign them, and we’ll be on our way.”

Lyssa took the papers, but ignored the pen that Scott held out to her. She gave them a cursory glance before looking back up at the two men. 

“I’m not signing anything without reading it first,” she told him. “And not only am I going to read this, I’m also having someone in the legal department read it.”

“And just how long will that take?” Scott asked, impatiently. 

“As long as it takes,” she replied. 

Charles reached for her arm as she turned away, causing her to slap his hand away as she backed away from him. 

“Don’t touch me. You can wait here, or in one of the restaurants.”

“We’ll come with you.”

“No, you won’t. You’re not allowed past this floor unless you work here, so you’ll just have to wait.”

“Don’t be too long,” Scott told her. 

By that time, two more guards had sauntered up, then one walked with Lyssa to the elevator. 

“Who are they?” He asked. 

“My brothers,” she replied. “Please keep an eye on them so that they don’t try to follow me.”

“Will do,” he assured her. 

*** ***

While Lyssa was on her way back up to her department, Loki and Thor had finally got an elevator down. The guard that had escorted Lyssa saw them and headed over. 

“Where’s Ms. McAlister?” Thor asked. 

“She went back up to Legal to have someone else look at some papers that her brothers want her to sign.”

“Her brothers are here?” Loki asked. “Where are they?”

“They went over to the pub to wait for her to come back down.”

Thor pulled Loki aside, out of sight of the guard desk. Loki was fairly burning with anger and Thor didn’t want him to cause any trouble that would jeopardize the progress he’d been making on his restitutions. 

“Did you know that she had brothers?” Thor asked. 

“She mentioned them and said she didn’t talk to them anymore, but didn’t go into details,” Loki replied. 

“We’ll wait here until she returns,” Thor told him. “We will not interfere as long as things don’t get out of hand.”

“Agreed,” Loki bit out, although at the first sign of trouble, he meant to be in the middle of it. Lyssa’s emotions were in high gear, causing a ripple effect in him. 

*** ***

When Lyssa stepped off the elevator on the ground floor, she immediately saw Loki and Thor, who were still out of sight of the guard desk. She shook her head at Loki, then gave Thor a pleading look, silently begging him to not let Loki interfere. 

She then walked slowly toward the guard desk, where her brothers were again waiting for her, along with several more guards, who were acting like they were getting ready for the shift change. 

“I’m not signing this,” she told Scott. “You have some nerve accusing me of stealing from our parents’ estate when you two seized and sold everything that you could get your hands on, even property that was designated as mine.”

“There is a good deal of money missing,” Scott told her. 

“Maybe you should be looking at each other,” she snapped. 

“That is a legal demand to view your bank accounts,” Charles said. “We want to know what you got from the estate.”

“You didn’t _leave_ me with anything, you jackasses!” Lyssa was nearly screaming at them. “You squandered your college funds, _stole_ mine, and sold the house while I was still living there, and the land around it, effectively making me homeless. And to top it off, you also stole the jewelry that Mama had given me over the years. It may not have been worth much, but it was all I had until you two chewed your way through everything else.”

She flung the papers at Scott’s chest then turned to leave. He caught her arm and yanked her back. 

“You _will_ sign them,” he said. 

“Oh, you _really_ want to be letting go of me,” she said, warningly. 

“Do as I say and sign the papers,” Scott growled at her. 

Lyssa tried once more to get her arm free, but Scott held it with a vise-like grip. Before any of the guards could intervene, she’d kicked him hard in the crotch, causing him to double over in pain. Then her knee came up under his jaw, flipping him onto his back onto the hard tile. _Then_ she landed on his chest with both knees, getting a rush of satisfaction when she felt at least one of his ribs give way. 

She was then flung off Scott by Charles, who sent her skidding across the floor. Lyssa rolled to her feet and launched herself at him, catching him in the stomach with her shoulder and tackling him to the floor. Once he was down, she rained blows onto his head with closed fists. 

_“Don’t touch her!”_

Loki’s voice didn’t register with her, nor did she realize that it was he who lifted her off of Charles in order to separate them. The guards had started to intervene but backed off when Loki had roared at them. 

He now held her with both arms around her waist, with her feet off the floor. One of her hands was clenched on his shoulder, while the other had closed onto a fistful of his hair. 

The shrieks coming from her were a mix of anger, hatred and hurt and she struggled against him. Loki finally carried her out of sight of her brothers, and held her while trying to calm her. 

“It’s over, little one,” he soothed her. “It’s over now.”

Thor stood close to them, keeping himself between Lyssa and her brothers. He kept glancing back at Loki, thankful that his attention was on her. 

Loki spoke softly to her, until she stopped screaming and started crying with deep, heaving sobs. She slowly let go of his hair and slid her arms around his neck, then pressed the palm of one hand against her temple as a migraine started to build. 

When she struggled to get down, he set her on her feet but held onto her firmly. 

“Are you going to be sick?” He asked when she got a panicked look on her face. 

She nodded without a word, looking around before stumbling to the nearest wastecan and retching until nothing was left but dry heaves. 

“Take her up to the penthouse, there’s a doctor waiting.” 

Tony walked up long enough to check on Lyssa, and motioned with his head for Thor to accompany them. Thor nodded in agreement as Loki lifted her into his arms. 

Once they reached the penthouse, Loki carried her immediately to his bed and laid her down, then waited while the doctor gave her an injection for her migraine and then another to sedate her. 

“She’ll sleep for a while, maybe even a full day,” the doctor told them. “Keep the room darkened and try to keep the noise down until she rouses on her own. Call me if you need me.”

Loki nodded, then sat on the edge of the bed. Lyssa’s brow was furrowed in pain while tears slowly coursed her cheeks. He gently wiped them away, and she jerked slightly at his touch, then struggled to open her eyes. 

“Make them leave.”

“Stark is taking care of them,” he whispered. “You rest.”

“Tell him...I’m sorry…” Her breath hitched in her throat as she gave a soft sob. 

“It’s not your fault,” he replied, gently stroking her cheek. 

He stayed with her until he was sure that she was fully asleep, then pulled the blinds closed. Loki then put an enchantment on the room to dampen any sounds from coming through, and to keep it darkened. He would still be able to hear if Lyssa woke up and needed anything. He also renewed the spell on her bracelet for good measure. 

Thor, Steve and Bucky looked at him when he exited his suite while closing the door carefully behind him. Thor could tell that his brother had not quite calmed down, despite the fact that Lyssa had been sedated and her own emotions were no longer affecting him. 

“She’s sleeping,” Loki told them. “What of the brothers?”

“They’ve been escorted out and the police may detain them,” Thor replied. 

Loki nodded and absently rubbed his head where Lyssa had pulled his hair. His hand came away with loose strands; he stared at them before brushing them off. 

Thor handed him a glass with whiskey in it, ironically from the bottle that Loki had swiped from her apartment. Tony came in at that point and poured some for himself. 

“As quiet and shy as she is, I would never have thought to see that from her,” Tony commented. “Anyway, those two are away from here.”

“Good,” Loki said. “The doctor says she may sleep until tomorrow.”

“Well, then,” Tony squared his shoulders. “I have some work to do. Let me know if you need anything.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More background about Lyssa and her brothers. 
> 
> Disclaimer: this has not happened to me or anyone I know. I apologize in advance if it’s upsetting. :(

Sometime later, Lyssa awoke to the quiet and darkened room. She laid there for moment, trying to get her bearings. She felt disoriented and nauseous from the headache and meds that she’d been given earlier. 

She carefully slid to the edge of the bed, then sat there for a couple of minutes. Once she felt stable, she managed to get to the bathroom, using its nightlight for guidance. 

When she turned on the faucet to wash her hands, several strands of dark hair caught her attention. Loki’s hair. She had pulled his hair hard enough to yank out more than a few strands. She finished washing her hands, then wet a washcloth to cool her face and the back of her neck. 

When she emerged, she was wearing one of Loki’s shirts, since she couldn’t find a robe and didn’t have any of her clothes with her. She silently made her way to the common area, trying to find the kitchen. One hand shielded her eyes from the lights, and she was about to give up when she heard Thor’s voice. 

“Lyssa?”

She jumped slightly and swayed where she stood. She heard his footsteps approaching her. 

“What is it?” He asked quietly. 

“Water.”

“Come with me.”

Thor took her elbow and led her to the kitchen. Once there, he kept hold of her while dispensing cold water from the fridge. She drank two glasses before handing the glass back to him. Her fingers then plucked anxiously at the shirt she wore. 

“Th-this was all I could find to wear,” she whispered. 

“It’s alright. No one is up but me,” he assured her. “Are you hungry?”

She started to tell him no, but then changed her mind. “Are there any crackers or cookies?”

“Let’s see.”

Thor checked the cabinet and found a pack of saltine crackers. Lyssa took a few and ate them while he poured more water for her. 

“What time is it?” She asked him. 

“Almost midnight.”

“Thank you. I should go back before Loki wakes and finds me gone.”

“Let me help you.”

Once again, he took her arm and walked with her back to Loki’s suite. Just as they reached the bedroom door, it opened. Loki had started out to find her but stopped short to keep from running into her. 

“Is everything alright?” He asked. 

“Yes,” Thor replied. “She just got up for some water.”

Lyssa took a half step to slide her arms around Loki and to put her head against his chest. His arms went around her firmly when he felt her start to collapse. 

“Thank you, Brother,” he said, lifting her into his arms. 

“Of course.”

Thor pulled the door closed after Loki had carried Lyssa back to bed, then closed the main door behind him. 

She was nearly asleep when Loki got her settled and laid down beside her. When he put his arm across her waist, she rubbed his forearm lightly before lacing her fingers through his. 

*** ***

The next day, Lyssa slept almost until noon and woke to an empty bed. Loki’s enchantment was still in effect, and she could tell that the room was strangely dark and silent. 

While she slept, he had gone to her apartment for some of her things, bringing back clothes, shoes and her brush, plus a few toiletries. She smiled as she dressed and brushed through her hair before heading to the common area. 

Her headache was manageable but still there, making her just a bit unsteady and still light-sensitive. She walked slowly toward the door from Loki’s suite, just to have it open for her, and she immediately felt and heard the differences in the light and sound. 

“What is it?” Loki asked her, as she stood in confusion. 

“I’m not sure,” she said, looking around. “Something is off…”

Loki kissed her temple, smiling to himself that she’d detected the spell on his rooms but couldn’t quite figure out what it was. 

“My rooms are more insulated than the others. I like it quiet when I sleep or read.”

“Ooh.”

“Come on, I’m sure you must be hungry. I don’t think you ate at all yesterday.”

She shook her head and walked unsteadily beside him as he led her toward the kitchen. She sat down at the breakfast bar while he poured some juice for her. 

“Now, what would you like to eat?” He asked. “As I recall, brunch is breakfast and lunch at the same time, right?”

“Right.” She couldn’t help but laugh. “But you’re going to cook?”

“Egads, no, he’s not cooking. He’s less than useless as a cook.” Tony joined them suddenly. 

Loki rolled his eyes and Lyssa stifled another laugh. 

“I can manage toast and scrambled eggs.” Loki scowled. 

“That’s true,” Tony agreed. “Tell me, Ms. McAlister, do you like your toast and eggs well done?”

“Stop.” Lyssa did laugh then and held her head. 

“Are you cooking, then?” Loki asked, challengingly. 

“Oh, no, I’m even less useful than you as a cook,” Tony said, with a wink at Lyssa. “Luckily, Cap and Barnes are better than both of us and one of them will be happy to whip something up for you.”

“That’s not necessary…” Lyssa started to get up. “I can make something.”

“Nope, just sit there a minute.”

Tony left to see who was available and came back with Bucky. 

“Hi, Sergeant,” she greeted him softly. 

“Bucky,” he corrected her. “What will it be today?”

“Bucky, then,” she said. “Toast and scrambled eggs are fine, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Sure, but I make a mean omelette,” he replied. 

“Even better, but no peppers, please? My migraine…” she rubbed her temple. 

“Of course.”

“When you’re done, will you talk to me, alone?” Tony asked her. 

“Yes, sir.” She turned even more pale. 

Tony squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Everything is fine, I just want to talk.”

She nodded, jerkily, trying to tamp down her terror. Her hands began to shake so badly that Loki moved to stand behind her and took her hands in his, then crossed their arms together to hug her. 

“He’s going to fire me,” she whispered. 

“No, you are not to worry. He’s going to do nothing of the sort.”

*** ***

After she’d eaten, she found Tony, who led her into a small office and closed the door. She sat across the desk from him, waiting nervously. He watched her for a moment, and noticed that she was shaking badly. 

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she said, quietly. 

“Why is that?”

“My behavior...shameful,” she said softly. “And I will understand if you’re to fire me.”

“Nonsense,” he replied. “Now, tell me about your brothers and this paper they wanted you to sign.”

“They said that money is missing from my parents’ estate and they think I have it,” she said, looking out the window. 

“Start from the beginning,” he said. “I’m not trying to upset you, alright?”

She nodded, then took a deep breath. 

“My parents were killed in a traffic accident, seven? No, eight years ago. I had graduated high school the year before and was deciding on which college to start at for my law degree. Scott is the oldest and he was executor of the will. I never saw a copy, I was just out of school, how much would I know about wills, right? I’m much younger than they are...do you know what an ‘uh-oh’ baby is?”

“No.”

“I was a surprise to my parents. My brothers were almost grown when I came along. Scott was in his twenties by then.”

She stopped to gather her thoughts and Tony could tell how painful it was for her. He kept silent, waiting for her to continue at her own pace. 

“They started selling off small things first, farm equipment, cows, my horse, telling me that no one would be there to work the land or handle the livestock once I left. Frankly, they were both too lazy to do it when Daddy was still here, so I shouldn’t have been surprised, really.”

Tony sat back in his chair, listening intently. Her legs started shaking again. 

“Then the land started going. Daddy had set parcels aside for each of us, so that we could build a house someday if we wanted. He even let me pick out my spot, down by the creek…”

“Do you recall signing anything at all?” He asked. 

Lyssa thought about that for a few minutes. She dropped her head to study her fingers before looking up at him. 

“I may have signed something the day of the funeral. Everything was a blur that day, I was devastated and lost….I recall something about making sure that the funeral home was paid…”

Tony’s jaw clenched at that. Those brothers really were jackasses, and were lucky that he had not known about this when they showed up. They were doubly lucky that Loki and Thor also hadn’t known, or they would have been taken out of his tower as corpses. 

“Then one day, about two months later, I came home from work to an empty house and my keys no longer worked. They had sold it, but not before cleaning it out. They took all my belongings and the few pieces of jewelry I had from our mother. Then Charles picked me up, took me to a cheap motel, paid for a week and left me there.”

“And you had no other family to help you?”

“None that I cared to ask,” she replied. “I think that they forged my signature, but I have no proof.”

Tony nodded, wheels already turning in his head. “I’d like to look into this for you.”

“Sure, but I don’t know what you could hope to find. I’m sure everything is gone, otherwise they wouldn’t be here looking for more. Oh, and it’s likely that they will sue me, or you. Or both of us.”

“I can handle them,” he assured her. “And you are not to worry about them showing up here again.”

Lyssa nodded, glad to be able to tell someone the story, after eight years of misery. 

“And just for disclosure, Jarvis recorded this for me, but no one else will see it unless absolutely necessary.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the brothers didn’t waste time once they got back to Georgia....

When she left Tony’s office, Lyssa was completely drained. She made her way back to Loki’s bed and crawled onto it and laid there on her stomach. She thought back over what she’d told Tony, and the hurt started again, but then was replaced by anger at what her brothers had done to her. 

Loki went back to his bedroom, then stood at the door for a moment to watch her. She had raised her wrist to study the bracelet he’d given her, the gold glinting as she turned her hand back and forth. 

“I’m rather surprised that they didn’t try to take this from me,” she remarked, sensing his presence. 

“I would not have allowed that to happen,” he replied. 

She rolled onto her back, then patted the bed. He laid down beside her and pillowed her head on his arm while the other went across her waist. He closed his eyes when she reached up and carefully ran her fingers through his hair. 

“I pulled your hair yesterday,” she whispered. “I’m very sorry about that.”

“I barely noticed,” he murmured, almost purring when she started caressing his scalp. 

“You like that, don’t you?”

“Hmmm.” 

Lyssa pulled him down to kiss him, her mouth soft and pliant against his. He returned the kiss while running his hand along her ribs. 

“You surprised me yesterday,” he said softly. “Even Thor was so shocked that he couldn’t move right away.”

“My brothers were certainly surprised,” she replied, solemnly. 

She cut her eyes at him and they both burst into laughter. She clung to him helplessly as tears of mirth streamed from her eyes. 

After a moment, she sat up and crawled off the bed, then took his hand and tugged. He sat up and allowed her to pull him to his feet. 

Without a word, she led him to the bathroom and knelt by the tub to start a bath. Loki leaned down to capture her mouth with his when her hands circled his neck, drawing him down to her. 

An eyebrow arched when she slowly untucked his shirt, then pushed it aside in order to slide her hands across his chest. Loki’s hands went to her hips, pulling her flush to him while she kissed his chest, then rubbed her cheek against him. 

Lyssa stepped back enough to slip out of her own clothes, then kept eye contact with him while she raised her arms to pin her hair up. She stepped into the tub, then sank down to her shoulders into the warm water. 

After a moment, Loki joined her, pulling her back against his chest, then began massaging her neck. His mouth found her ear, then traveled downward, causing her to arch into him. Her head fell back onto his shoulder so that he could have full access to her neck. 

“That’s nice,” she breathed, closing her eyes. 

Loki ran his hand down her arm, then lifted it to examine the bruises left when her brother Scott had grabbed her. 

“If anyone else dares to bruise you like this, I will kill them,” he said. 

Lyssa grasped his wrists and drew his arms around her, making him hug her. 

“You’re supposed to stay out of trouble, Trouble,” she replied. 

She felt his chest rumble as he laughed softly. Lyssa sat up, then carefully turned until she straddled him. Loki put an arm at her waist to keep her tight and still against him. 

“Ah, little one, you’re going to be the death of me,” he groaned, just before she placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him deeply. 

“I’ve thought the same of you, my prince,” she replied, nibbling at his lips. “Now, do something for me.”

“Anything.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back while she stroked his throat. 

Lyssa pushed his arms up until they rested on the rim of the tub. His vivid green eyes met hers, holding her gaze intently. 

“Keep them there for me.”

She watched as his gaze intensified, while the pulse in his throat accelerated under her fingertips. Loki nodded in agreement, but was uncertain how long he could keep his hands off her. 

Once again, she slid her fingers through his hair before shifting against him so that she could ease down on him while watching his face. The muscles across his chest and arms tightened, making him almost forget to keep his arms in place. 

“Say my name,” Lyssa breathed against his ear, smiling softly at the effect she was having on him. 

“Wh-What’s that?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I like ‘pet’, and I am little next to you,” she said. “But I like to hear my name on your lips, _Loki_.”

He groaned when she began to move slowly, hands tightening in his hair. His mouth fastened on the curve of her neck rather roughly, causing her to give a tiny yelp. 

“My fierce Lyssa,” he finally said. 

“I like that,” she murmured, breathlessly. 

Loki finally gave up on keeping his hands away from her; Lyssa’s laugh was cut off when he gripped her hips hard, guiding her movements. Her nails bit into his shoulders while she kissed him, her teeth nipping at him. 

“Lyssa....”

“Yes?”

“I have another name for you…”

“And that is…?” 

_“Mine_.”

Lyssa clung to him when he brought her to pleasure, following just after. Loki held her against him as she trembled in his arms. She looked up at him, tears brimming. 

“I like that one most of all,” she whispered, as he gently wiped her cheeks. Then, after another couple minutes: “There’s more water on the floor than in the tub.”

Loki leaned his head back and laughed softly. “So there is.”

*** *** ***

Lyssa laid back down after she and Loki had cleaned up the bathroom. He’d insisted that she take another dose of the medicine for her headache, then sleep as long as she needed. 

When she did get up, it was time for the evening meal. She sat down beside Loki while they ate. 

“Feeling better?” Steve asked her. 

“Much better, thank you, Captain,” she replied. 

“Please call me ‘Steve’,” he said, with a smile. 

“It just feels weird,” she responded. “But I’ll try my best to get used to it.”

“Good.”

“So, Ms. McAlister,” Tony said. “Your brothers are being dropped off in Georgia. Stark Industries just happened to have a plane going that way.”

“Any chance you can just drop them out _over_ Georgia? Parachutes optional?” She asked.

Tony stared at her in silence for a couple of minutes, as did the others. Her mouth twitched then, and they all burst out laughing. 

“I never thought of that, but it would be appropriate,” Tony replied. “I like your way of thinking.”

Lyssa shrugged with a slight smile and continued to eat. 

“What are your plans for Christmas?” Bucky asked. 

“I hadn’t really planned anything. I’ll be working Christmas Eve….”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I’ve placed you on medical leave until after the first of the year,” Tony interjected. “I’ve spoken to your manager and she said you’ve been working hard while studying, and needed the rest.”

“Mr. Stark, I don’t have enough time built up to take all those days off….”

“Paid medical leave,” he interrupted her, gently. 

“That's generous of you, but….”

Tony forestalled her objections with a raised finger. 

“My company, my decision.”

“You’re the Boss,” she said, helplessly. “Thank you.”

“Yep.”

*** *** 

Several days later, Lyssa went down to her apartment to straighten up a bit and do some laundry. Loki had insisted that she stay with him, so she needed to swap out some clothes. 

Plus, she still had some sweet potatoes left and figured that she could bake pies while she was there. Before she started, though, she went down the hall to get her mail, which she put onto the counter without opening it. 

Once she had the two pies in the oven, she looked through the mail, wondering how long it would take to hear from her brothers. 

“Well, that didn’t take long at all.”

If it hadn’t been so sad or infuriating, she would have laughed. She set the letter from the law firm aside to open her bank statement. She sat in stunned silence for several minutes, unsure what to do. 

“Jarvis? Will you talk to me?” She finally said, unsure whether Tony’s AI would address her outside the penthouse. 

“How may I be of assistance, Ms. McAlister?”

She jumped slightly when Jarvis did answer her. 

“Is Mr. Stark in his office? I need to talk to him.”

“He is, shall I let him know that you'll be coming to see him?”

“Well, it will be an hour or so, I have pies in the oven…”

“Mr. Stark says that he’s on his way down.”

“Oh, okay. Thank you, Jarvis.”

“My pleasure, Ms. McAlister. Just ask if you need further assistance.”

“Will you call me ‘Lyssa’?”

“As you wish, Lyssa.”

Lyssa got up to check on the pies, taking out the ones that were done to put the next set in. Once she’d done that, a knock sounded at her door. Tony hadn’t wasted any time getting down to her floor. 

She opened the door to let him in, looking down the hall to see if anyone else was coming with him. 

“Jarvis said something about pie?”

“Yes, but they’re not cool yet.” She couldn’t help but laugh. 

“You’ve heard from your brothers?”

She nodded and handed him the letter from the lawyer. He looked at it briefly before folding and placing it back into the envelope. 

“There’s something else,” she told him, handing over her bank statement. “I have a checking and savings account with one bank. My pay goes there for my rent and school loan payments. I had less than ten thousand dollars there, and now my balance is zero. They really do mean to see me homeless and starving.”

“Jackasses,” Tony muttered. “Can I keep this for a while?”

“Sure, does me no good.”

Tony tucked both letters into his jacket pocket. Lyssa looked at him, rather defeated. 

“They’re suing me for five million dollars….I don’t have that and if they win, I’ll be ruined.”

“They’re suing me for five hundred million.”

“What?” She gasped. “I swear, their greed knows no bounds.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this, alright?”

Lyssa nodded quietly, and he reached over to squeeze her hand. 

“Now, pie?”

“Yes, but don’t touch Loki’s or he’ll blow through the roof.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little fluff and filler until the next move by the brothers; also, Lyssa is a whiskey snob and only drinks Jack Daniels, so Tony’s liquor is safe. :-)

Tony returned to the penthouse, pie in one hand and a fork in the other. As soon as he stepped off the elevator, he had to navigate an obstacle course consisting of Steve, Bucky, Thor and Loki. 

“What do you have there?” Bucky asked. 

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Tony continued to eat slowly. “Not sharing, either.”

“Pepper is gonna be mad when she finds out that you kept a whole pie for yourself,” Steve pointed out. 

“There’ll be no evidence.”

“Sirs,” Jarvis interrupted. “Lyssa is on the way up and asks for help with her things. Her hands are rather full.”

The four moved to wait for the elevator while Tony went on to his office. When the door opened, Lyssa had a small suitcase at her feet, and pies in each hand. Steve held the doors open while Bucky picked up the suitcase. 

“I had enough to make six pies, so there’s one for everyone,” she told them, handing Loki two while Thor took the remaining three from her. “Mr. Stark has his already.”

They all went into the kitchen where she set out knives and forks. Loki leaned against a counter. 

“I’m assuming that you’re going to eat these now, right?” She asked with a laugh. 

“Yep,” Steve replied. 

Lyssa went to the fridge and took out four beers, then passed them out. She leaned against the counter, watching them until her thoughts turned inward. 

“Is everything alright?” Thor’s deep voice brought her out of her reverie. 

“What? Oh sure.”

Loki stopped eating and looked at her, unaware that Thor had caught his gesture. Loki knew instantly that she’d lied, but then also realized that she didn’t know that he would be able to tell. 

Lyssa sighed and glanced over at them all, completely oblivious to the brothers’ reaction. 

“I received word from a law firm that my brothers are suing me; and they somehow managed to get into my bank account here and….I’m penniless, at least until my next paycheck comes.”

She moved to the fridge and opened it before reaching in and taking out a can of whipped cream. 

“Merry Christmas to me,” she muttered to herself. “Anyone want some of this?” 

She put a dollop on each pie before dispensing some directly into her mouth, absently wiping off a bit of overspray with the back of her hand. She finished off the can before tossing it in the trash. 

“Hello, there’s my friend.”

She’d spotted the bottle of whiskey that Loki had swiped from her apartment and picked it up. Loki immediately reached for it but she tucked it under her arm and held on for dear life. 

“Alright, you pilfering prince, hands off!”

“Darling, your headache has only just went away —- “

“So, I’ll start on another one — “

“No, no, let me have that.”

Loki did manage to wrest it away from her, and held it out of reach, way above her head in an epic game of “keep away.” She put her hands on her hips in exasperation. 

_“Fine!”_

Lyssa took a glass from the cabinet and held it out. When he didn’t move, she tapped it impatiently. Loki finally gave in and poured a bit for her. She looked at the glass, then him, before tapping it again. He poured just a bit more. 

“You’re killing me,” she grumbled, still holding the glass out. “Here, pour it to here or I’ll scream.”

Thor tried hard not to laugh, he really did. Loki shot him a glare just as Lyssa tossed back the contents of her glass. Steve and Bucky watched in interest. 

“You know what, I just remembered that I have two full bottles in my apartment. You can keep that, Your Majesty.”

She set the glass down hard before _bolting_ for the elevator. Loki didn’t move but they heard her shriek in surprise. His double brought back her to the kitchen, holding her tucked against his side with one arm. 

“That’s not fair, not fair at all,” Lyssa gasped when she was set on her feet. 

She turned and looked them both up and down. Loki gave her a tiny smile. 

“If I were to hit him, uh, it, would _you_ feel it?” She asked, with a calculating expression. 

Thor choked back a laugh when Loki raised his eyebrows at her. The double disappeared in a soft green flash. 

“Very well, you may have just a bit more, but that’s it. I’ll be hiding the rest.”

“Spoilsport,” She grouched but held her glass out. 

“And you will bring those other two up here, unopened.”

“Will I?”

“Hmmm,” he replied. “Actually….”

Loki was silent for a long moment, then the double walked back into the kitchen with the whiskey before disappearing again.

“Dammit,” Lyssa swore softly. “I think it’s my turn to ask questions about _you.”_

She drank what Loki had poured for her, then looked at the bottle he still held. He caught her glance and the bottle disappeared, along with the other two.

“Right,” she finally sighed, crossing her arms. “Since I’m feeling better, I’d like to cook supper.”

 

*** ***

After dinner, Lyssa went to Loki’s room while the guys cleaned the kitchen. She’d found a box of chocolates and went to the bed, sitting cross legged while doing her best to eat them all. 

That’s how Loki found her when he joined her. She beckoned him and patted the bed. He sat down in front of her and watched her for a moment before reaching over to take a chocolate. 

“Alright, mister,” she said, around a mouthful of candy. “It’s question and answer time.”

He grinned at her as he popped the chocolate into his mouth. 

“We’ll start with titles. Go.”

“God of mischief.”

“I knew that. Go on.”

“God of lies.”

“Ok, stop right there. What does that entail?”

“I am known for being...less than truthful at times,” he replied. 

“Hmmm.” Lyssa bit into another candy. “Have you lied to me? Other than about the blinds in my apartment?”

“No.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?”

“Yes,” he said, holding her gaze. “But I did tell a half-truth. I did know how to use the watch when I asked for your help.”

“Ok, that’s allowed. What else?”

“That’s all.”

“Alright. Now, the other thing, the illusions, etc.” She stuffed another candy into her mouth after smacking his hand away from them, something which earned her an arched eyebrow. “You’re good at that eyebrow thing, and the caramels are _mine_ , Prince.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at her indignation. Her eyes glittered with inner amusement. 

“Am I allowed any secrets?” He asked, holding his hand out for a candy. 

Lyssa placed one in his palm. “Yes, I’m just asking for the light version.”

“Very well,” he said. “I am also a magician, you might call me a sorcerer. I’m able to produce duplicates, as you’ve found out, among other things…”

Lyssa pointed at him while chewing rapidly on the candy, trying to clear her mouth. 

“Your rooms! You put some kind of spell on them, didn’t you?”

Loki smiled at her, rather impressed at her deduction. 

“Yes, there is an enchantment on them to basically soundproof them. I do like quiet when I’m reading. I added one to dampen the light while you were resting.”

She nodded as she selected another candy, then offered him one. 

“And the bracelet?” She finally asked. 

“Charmed. One to help keep you calm during your test, to let me know where you were, and to let me know if you became anxious,” he said. “I thought that Anna would cause trouble for you.”

“So we’re kinda joined emotionally?” She said, quietly. 

“In a way.”

Lyssa studied her bracelet thoughtfully. “Okay, I can live with that. Could I ask something of you, then?”

“Of course.”

“Could you not lie to me about important stuff….and not use a double to deceive me unless it’s a dire emergency?” She asked, hesitantly. “If...if I should tell you that I love you, you’re not required to reciprocate, but it would hurt if you did but didn’t mean it.”

“That would be understandable,” he replied, softly. “I will not lie to you or use a double, as you asked. I ask that you do not lie to me, because I will know.”

“No white lies or half-truths?”

“Those will be allowed, unless your safety is at stake.”

“Agreed,” she said, nodding her head, handing him another candy, then taking the last one for herself. 

“Now, tell me about your brothers.”

Lyssa took a deep breath while setting the candy box aside. She looked down at her hands before scooting closer to him so that their knees touched. 

“Alright, but you must promise that you will let Mr. Stark handle them. Please?”

“I’m not sure that I can promise that, but I won’t step in unless they assault or threaten you again.”

She knew that was as good a promise that she was going to get, and hoped that her brothers wouldn’t take it to that level, because they certainly wouldn’t survive the encounter. 

Lyssa put her hands on his knees, gently rubbing while she recounted the story that she’d told Tony. She felt his muscles tense, before he took her hands in his to caress her soothingly. He was beyond angry, but she did her best to keep him calm. 

“They will get theirs, either in this life or the next, but I don’t want you involved in that,” she murmured. “You have too much to lose.”

Lyssa unfolded her legs with a grimace, then got onto her knees to lean into him, arms around his neck. She kissed him gently while his arms went around her to draw her into his lap. 

“So, do you love me?” He asked, with a hand on the side of her neck and his thumb stroking her jaw.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Liar.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still working up to the day of reckoning but may not be able to update but every other day or so. I’ve been out of work with a back issue but now that I’ve gone back, I can only write in the evenings. Thank you for sticking with me! As always, I enjoy reading your comments ❤️❤️❤️

Christmas was drawing closer, and Lyssa worried whether she should try to get gifts this year. She hadn’t bought any the previous year since she was by herself, other than giving her manager a small token. She had no idea what she could get Loki that he couldn’t get for himself. 

Tony had set up a new bank account for her before depositing her medical leave pay, plus he had replaced what had been stolen. She had protested his generosity, but he’d waved it off. 

She kept checking her mailbox to see if there had been a date set yet for the lawsuit, even though Tony had assured her that they probably wouldn’t hear anything until after the first of the year. He’d also told her that his investigator and forensic accountant were busy looking into her parents’ estate and will, but nothing more than that. 

One morning, when she’d returned from checking her mail, she was surprised to find Pepper, Tony’s fiancée, there. She was usually so busy that she rarely came up to that floor. 

“Just the person I wanted to see.”

Lyssa turned to look behind her, expectantly. 

“No, you, silly,” Pepper said with a smile, approaching her. “This is for you.”

Pepper handed her an invitation to Stark's Christmas Eve ball. Lyssa looked it over before raising her gaze to meet Pepper’s. 

“I’ve never been to something like this,” Lyssa said, rather awkwardly. 

“There’s nothing to it,” Pepper replied. 

“I’m sure I don’t have an appropriate dress…”

“I’ll help you, but there’s not much time. Are you free this afternoon?”

“Yes….but is this something that Loki is going to attend too?”

“He’s been well behaved the last few weeks,” Tony came up behind Pepper. “I’d say he’s earned some time out of the building, in any case, he’ll have an escort, as it were.”

“If he decides not to go, I’ll stay here with him,” Lyssa replied. 

“Fair enough,” Tony replied. “Why don’t you two go get an early start? Go spend some money.”

*** ***

Lyssa and Pepper spent the afternoon looking for just the right dress for both of them, then Pepper took her to her personal hair stylist to try out different styles to compliment the dress that Lyssa had finally selected. 

“Loki likes my hair down,” Lyssa told them, firmly, after they had shown her several pictures from some books. 

“How about something like this?”

Lyssa nodded in assent, then sat still while the stylist worked with her hair in order to get a feel for the texture. The result was a stunning creation, one that Lyssa knew she’d never be able to duplicate. 

Then they had her put on the dress and shoes to see if anything else was needed. Jewels will finish the look, Pepper thought to herself. 

“Beautiful,” Pepper said, smiling, while snapping a few pictures with her phone. “Our appointments are in the books, so we’ll be here early.”

“Alright,” Lyssa agreed, before going to change. 

“Lovely girl,” the stylist murmured to Pepper. 

“Yes, she is.”

*** ***

When Lyssa returned to the penthouse, Loki was surprised to see that she was empty handed. 

“Did you not find a dress to your liking?” He asked. 

“Yeah, but Pepper is going to keep it for me until she picks me up to start getting ready,” she replied, moving into his arms. “I also think she wants it to be a surprise.”

“I see.” Loki buried his nose into her hair. “You’ve done something to your hair, it smells nice, though.”

“Pepper’s hairdresser did a couple different styles before we decided on one,” Lyssa explained. 

Once she’d changed out of her dress, they’d taken her hair down but left the curls in. 

“I like the curls,” he commented, taking one and stretching it out, just to let go and watch it bounce back. 

“I really never take the time to curl it; too much hair and it takes too long,” she said, pressing her cheek against his chest. “It’s easier to do when it’s shorter.”

“If you wish to cut your hair, you don’t need my permission,” he chuckled softly. 

“Nah, I’m just lazy about getting it cut. I usually wait until I can’t stand it anymore, then go overboard,” she told him. “And it’s about that time.”

Loki squeezed her gently as they stood together in silence. Then, with a wicked grin, he stepped back and took her by the wrist before leading her to his room. 

Once there, he turned to her and lifted her so that her arms went around his neck. He then pressed her against a wall, with his hands under her bottom. He growled low in his throat when she raised her knees to grip his hips. His hands then moved under each thigh to support her. 

“Don’t drop me,” she whispered against his ear before nibbling at his earlobe. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it, dear heart,” he replied, turning his head in order to capture her lips. 

He sighed with pleasure when her hands went to his hair as usual. He would never get tired of that. 

Loki kissed her ear, then slowly made his way down her neck, alternately kissing, biting and licking until he reached the curve of her shoulder. He then blew softly on her wet skin before turning his attention to her throat. 

“Know what?” She breathed, closing her eyes. 

“What?”

“I have decided that I do, in fact, love you.”

“Is that so?” He couldn’t help but grin at her, then caught his breath when her nimble fingers started unbuttoning his shirt as far down as she could reach. 

“Mmmm, but remember what I said,” she added, working on the buttons at his wrists. 

When she’d finished with the buttons, her hands went back to his hair. When she’d first touched it, she found that it was softer than it looked and she simply could not keep her hands away from it.

And his kisses…she could just drown in them.

And that was exactly what she was doing when the door suddenly shook when a fist pounded on it. She was startled to the point where she let go and tried to get down. 

“Yes?” Loki asked loudly, holding her in place. 

“Food is ready if you’re hungry!” Thor called through the door. 

Lyssa shook her head when Loki looked at her questioningly. She then slid her arms around his neck again. 

“Not hungry right now,” Loki replied. 

“Bed,” she whispered.

“Yes, little one.”

Loki tightened his arms around her and carried her to the bedroom, trying to be careful not to trip over anything, navigating while she kissed him the whole time. He finally placed her onto the bed, while panting slightly from desire. 

Lyssa laid back and watched while he tossed his shirt aside. Then he crawled onto the bed, sitting back on his heels while he looked her over. He took each foot and flicked her shoes off, then slowly, deliberately undid each button on her blouse. 

She lifted her shoulders for him to allow him to slip it off and toss it aside, then his fingers went to the button and zipper on her jeans. He slowly dragged them down her legs, then tickled the bottom of each foot before tossing the jeans in the direction her blouse had taken, leaving her in just her underwear. 

Loki then leaned over her to kiss her before pinning her beneath him. He kissed her ear, then down the side of her neck, to her throat and shoulders. Lyssa arched beneath him, quivering at the feel of his mouth on her. 

He slowly moved down to kiss the swell of her breasts, before giving her stomach and navel his attention. Her breath came in soft gasps as he continued to move down her body. Loki kissed the top of one thigh, then the inside of a knee while slowly parting her legs. 

Lyssa almost came off the bed when he began kissing and nibbling at the tender skin of each inner thigh, then she tensed up and tried to wriggle away from him. 

Without skipping a beat, Loki merely rubbed his cheek against her core before turning his attention again to her stomach. Lyssa’s fingers tightened in his hair when his tongue dipped into her navel. She whimpered softly then he kissed her again while deftly getting rid of their remaining clothes. 

Lyssa wrapped herself around him, lost in the feel of him. Loki moved slowly against her, all the while kissing her neck, ear and lips. 

Her nails lightly raked his back, then her hands clutched at his arms hard when he sent her over the edge. His mouth captured hers, before he pressed his forehead against hers when he reached his own release. 

She clung to him until he kissed her gently, then rolled to his side, bringing her with him. Lyssa burrowed into his chest while they caught their breaths, with his arms still firmly wrapped around her. 

“Why do you not want me to say that I love you?” He asked quietly. “Do you think me incapable of it?”

Lyssa tried to pull away in order to look at him, but he held her in place. One hand gently stroked her head, making her relax against him again. 

“No, that is not what I said, nor what I meant,” she replied. “I only meant that you’re not _obligated_ to say it. The few relationships that I had while in college didn’t last, and I sometimes thought that maybe there was something wrong with me, that no one _could_ love me…”

“That is absurd, and I do not want to hear you say anything like that again,” he said, firmly, almost on the verge of anger. 

“My own brothers couldn’t bring themselves to love me, not like our parents did,” she said quietly. “They put me out like I was a mangy dog.”

“That is their loss.” Loki didn’t understand her reference, but concluded that it wasn’t a flattering term. 

“Yeah, I reached that realization too, so I turned my back on them like they did me. I haven’t thought about them very much until they showed up here. I do kind of wonder what they told everyone when I disappeared, seeing as we come from a small town where everyone knows everyone.”

Loki didn’t say anything, just continued to stroke her head, then allowed his fingers to drop to her shoulders. After a few minutes, she stirred and he allowed her to sit up. 

“Now, I’m getting hungry and I’m going to shower before I face your brother with your teeth marks on my neck,” she said, poking him playfully in the chest. 

He caught the offending finger in order to nip lightly at the tip. Lyssa leaned forward to steal a kiss before heading to the shower. He watched her go, greatly admiring the view of her shapely bottom before she disappeared into the bathroom. 

Loki laid back to stare at the ceiling for a few minutes before getting up to join her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:  
> A Thousand Years (sung by Christina Perri)
> 
>  
> 
> I have died everyday, waiting for you  
> Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years  
> I'll love you for a thousand more
> 
>  
> 
> And all along I believed, I would find you  
> Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years  
> I'll love you for a thousand more
> 
>  
> 
> ****  
> This song is from the Twilight series and I’d heard the acoustic version by The Piano Guys. I thought I’d heard it before that, likely at a wedding. You can find it on YouTube if you’d like to listen to it.

~~ ** Christmas Eve ** ~~

“No, I’m not going to be responsible for those.”

Lyssa was dressed for the ball in the dark sapphire dress she’d chosen. It was a simple gown, with an off-the-shoulder lace bodice and long lace sleeves. Pepper had brought a jewelry case to her, with a beautiful sapphire necklace, earrings and ring. 

“You don’t have to worry — “

Lyssa shook her head adamantly. “Can we go now? We’re already late and the guys are there waiting on us.”

Pepper sighed, then looked over at Happy, who was their driver to the venue. He shrugged with a grin as she handed the jewelry box to him. He slipped it into his pocket, knowing that the issue wasn’t resolved. 

He helped both women with their wraps and escorted them to the car. During the half hour drive, Lyssa again refused the jewelry. When they arrived, Tony and Steve were waiting for them, ready to escort them in. Loki was with Thor, out of the way of the crowd waiting for Tony’s entrance. 

Tony took one look at Lyssa and started to say something to Pepper but she cut him off with a wry glance. 

“She wouldn’t wear them.”

Happy placed the case into Tony’s outstretched hand. He showed them all into an empty room and whispered to Steve, who left. Tony then approached Lyssa, who eyed him warily. 

“You’re not going to insist that I wear those, are you?”

“Actually, no,” Tony replied. “I won’t have to.”

After a few minutes, Steve came back with Loki and Thor following him. Loki was curious as to the problem that only he could help with when the sight of Lyssa actually stopped him in his tracks. Thor ran into him from behind, not expecting Loki’s reaction. 

She stood there, nervously, watching his face when he finally walked toward her, then circled her in appreciation. Her hair was fastened back with a simple gold comb and fell in loose curls. 

“Your girl is being stubborn,” Tony told him with a grin, holding out the box. 

Loki raised an eyebrow at her. “Do they not suit you?”

“What?” She asked uneasily. 

“My mother’s jewels, are they not to your liking?”

“I didn’t know that you sent them,” she replied. “I didn’t want to be responsible for them.”

“Well, then.” 

Loki took the necklace and fastened it on, then slipped the ring onto her finger. Lyssa put the earrings on, then touched the necklace. It was so _heavy._

“These were your mother’s?” She whispered. “The queen’s?”

“Yes.”

Loki tugged on a curl before kissing her forehead. Thor gave her a gentle smile. 

“If something should happen to them….”

“Nothing will happen. Now, you go out there and put those other women to shame.”

“I wish you could escort me in.”

“I’m to keep a low profile, although I’m not sure how that will work once I claim you to dance later.”

Lyssa smiled at him softly as she nodded. 

“Well, then,” Tony said. “Are we good?”

“I suppose,” Lyssa replied.

Loki and Thor left them, and Steve offered his arm to Lyssa. She took it and they followed after Tony and Pepper. 

Later, after the initial excitement had worn down, Steve escorted her over to Loki and left her with him. They watched the dancing for a couple of songs. 

“Shall we, pet?” Loki asked with a slight bow. 

“I’d be honored, my prince,” she whispered, with a curtsy. 

Loki led her to the dance floor and took her into his arms, holding her loosely but close to him. 

“Oh, I like this song.” Lyssa leaned close, and to his surprise, started to sing softly, for his ears only, as they danced a slow waltz. 

Loki discovered that she had a sweet singing voice, and the words to the song were very touching, and he could tell that she was affected, just by the hint of tears in her eyes. 

“Don’t, darling, you’ll ruin your face,” he murmured with a grin. 

She laughed softly, letting her fingers curl up into the hair at the nape of his neck while he put his lips to her temple. 

“Did I tell you that you look beautiful?” She asked, the side of her mouth curling impishly. 

“Hmmm, I’m sure that’s supposed to be my line,” he replied. “You are exquisite, pet.”

“How about stunning? Can you be stunning?”

“If you insist,” he chuckled. 

They danced in silence for a few minutes, and Lyssa looked at the crowd of people that were standing around or mingling. 

“You know, there are plenty of women here that would gladly scratch my eyes out just to be right here.”

“There are other women here?” He asked in surprise. 

“Cad,” she giggled softly. “Anna is here.”

“No, thank you.” He kissed her temple, lightly as the song ended. 

Loki then guided her back to where Thor was waiting. Thor handed them both a glass of wine. Lyssa sipped hers, then made a face. 

“This is nice, but I’d rather have my whiskey,” she said with a grin. 

“That might be interesting,” Thor replied with a laugh. 

“No.” 

“Spoilsport.”

 

*** ~~~ ***

 

After the ball was over, Thor, Loki and Lyssa had a car to themselves for the trip back to the tower. She was tired from the excitement and Loki pulled her onto his lap, ignoring her protests and Thor’s grin. 

“Sorry,” she told Thor, blushing slightly. 

He shook his head at her apology before turning his gaze out the window. Lyssa put an arm across Loki’s shoulders while leaning into his chest. 

“That was fun, but I wouldn’t want to do that very often,” she sighed. 

Loki felt her fingers in his hair, then she grinned at him rather mischievously. He reached up to see why she was smiling to discover that she put a thin braid into his hair. 

“It’s a good look,” she said.

She was half asleep by the time they got back to the tower. Once Loki had closed the door to his suite, she went into the bedroom ahead of him, wanting nothing more than to get out of that dress and shoes. 

“Unzip, please?”

Loki kissed the nape of her neck as he obliged her, then watched while she laid the dress over a nearby chair. He grasped her wrists to hold her still while looking her up and down. Her underwear was the same color as the dress, and the jewels glittered in the light. 

“Now who’s stunning?” He asked, nibbling at her neck. 

“You still are,” she replied. “I’d like to take these shoes off now. My feet hurt.”

“The jewels should stay.”

“Alright.” 

Lyssa kicked her shoes off, then took the comb out of her hair. Once she’d let her underwear hit the floor, she fell face down across the bed with a soft groan. She felt the bed dip when Loki joined her before he started massaging her shoulders, back, then legs and feet. By the time he was done, she was fast asleep. 

He kissed the back of her neck, then carefully turned her over to gather her up so that he could put her under the covers and then he joined her, drawing her against him. 

Loki propped up on an elbow and studied the face of the woman sleeping next to him. Over his hundreds of years’ existence, he never thought that he would fall for a mortal woman, yet here she was, asleep in his bed and wearing a queen’s jewels. 

“I do love you, you fierce, soft little thing,” he whispered.

*** ~~~ ***

Christmas Day passed without much fuss. Lyssa couldn’t decide on what to get as gifts, so she made desserts for the guys. Apple pies, chocolate pies, sweet potato pies and even pecan pies; enough for them to have a some of each, plus chocolate covered strawberries. Loki and Thor couldn’t decide which they liked better and Loki tried to hoard the strawberries, earning himself an elbow in the side from his brother. 

“No stabbing!”

Lyssa wasn’t sure if it would come to that, but Loki merely held his hands up with a laugh. 

Later, Loki placed a small box into her hand while they sat on a sofa, watching a holiday movie on TV. She looked at it, then him before removing the wrapping slowly. 

“I really had no idea what to get you,” she told him. “This wasn’t necessary.”

“It’s tradition, right?” He asked. “The treats were enough.”

She nodded, then opened the box to reveal an emerald ring nestled in the black velvet. Loki took it out and slipped it onto her finger. 

“Stark helped me find something for you. I noticed that you didn’t wear much jewelry…”

“No, I couldn’t spend money on such things,” she replied. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

He earned a kiss, then she admired the ring for a long time. It was simple, elegant and conservative, and something that she would have picked out for herself. 

*** ~~~ ***

After the first of the year, Lyssa was ready to get back to work. Loki didn’t want her to go back to her apartment but she felt like she was invading his space, plus when the rest of the team returned, she thought she might get in the middle of something that she shouldn’t be privy to. 

“I believe I have a solution for you two. Come with me,” Tony finally said, leading the way down a short set of stairs that Lyssa hadn’t noticed before. 

The stairs led to the next floor down, which contained two luxury apartments. Each apartment covered half the floor. 

“There’s enough room for both of you in either of these. Take your pick. When you’ve decided, I’ll have someone move your things for you. And you’re still on leave until I say otherwise.”

Loki motioned for Lyssa to look at each apartment, then once she’d done so, he let her choose. 

“Don’t you want any say?”

“No, I want you to choose.”

She studied each one carefully, then selected the one that would offer a view of the sunset. 

“Alright, then. I’ll have the team start on your apartment tomorrow, Lyssa, then Loki’s. He’ll have to make sure none of his stuff is booby-trapped before anyone touches it,” Tony told them. 

Loki snorted in annoyance and rolled his eyes while Tony went back upstairs. 

“Well, he’s not wrong,” he said with a laugh. 

“You have your apartment booby-trapped?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he replied. “It was just the one time, and he wasn’t hurt at all.”

“And when were you going to warn me?”

“There’s no need, pet. It was just a joke and just that once. There is nothing that will hurt you.”

Loki took her hand to lead her back upstairs. 

“I should check my mail and go throw away anything that I don’t need before they start packing my stuff.”

“Alright.”

**** ****

Lyssa went down to her apartment and cleaned out her fridge of any food that didn’t need to be moved, then cleared out the cabinets. She did a quick run through to toss anything else that she didn’t need, then went to her mailbox. 

An official looking envelope caught her attention but she was afraid to open it, but finally worked up the nerve. 

_Guess the courts weren’t so behind after all,_ she thought, carefully putting the letter back into the envelope. 

She went back up to find Tony and handed it over to him. He had a similar looking envelope on his desk. 

“And so it begins,” he said, almost gleefully, before catching sight of her expression. “You are not to worry, do you understand?”

“I’ll try,” she said, miserably.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than I intended, and probably filled with inaccurate ‘legalities’, and very likely boring. I couldn’t come up with names for the lawyers, but they may have one by the time they get to Georgia. But now Lyssa can go home for justice. How did you like Tony’s surprise?

The court date was set for three weeks later, and Tony explained exactly what her brothers were expecting to get. 

“They are suing you for causing great bodily harm,” he said, eyes alight with amusement. “They don’t know how lucky they are that Thor was holding Loki back and that Thor has more self control…”

“Were they hurt?”

“Scott does have one broken rib aside from the kick to his...dignity,” Tony replied, grinning. “Charles got off more lightly with just a broken nose and a boo-boo on the back of his head from the floor. They’re suing me because it happened on my property.”

Tony made it sound so absurd and was trying to get her to relax a bit and see the humor in it. She saw what he was trying to do, and was grateful but the five million price tag still loomed over her. 

“Our lawyer will be here after lunch so that we can plan and bring you up to speed,” he continued.

She started to say something but he interrupted her, knowingly. 

“Since we are on the same docket, it’s more convenient to have just one lawyer, and the one I have for this is very good,” Tony told her. “We could have settled, but in this instance, I didn’t feel like rewarding bad behavior by throwing money at it.”

“Thank you,” she replied, clasping her hands together in an effort to stop shaking. 

“I would be more than willing to cover the minuscule medical expenses, just because it was such a treat to see you deal with them.”

“That was a long time coming,” she whispered. “When I saw them standing there, I thought I would vomit from the dread. Then Scott gave me that paper and accused me of stealing…..”

“That was a mistake that they will soon regret,” Tony said. “My boys in Georgia have been very busy _and_ productive.”

Lyssa was taken back by the malice in his tone, but he smiled at her reassuringly. 

“Now, go find your fella and get some lunch. They’re still moving your things, and Loki is overseeing the packing of his own stuff. You should be moved into the new place by the end of the day.”

“Ok. I want to thank you again, you’ve been so kind...and so have the others. I never expected to meet any of you when I started here.”

“You’re welcome. Now, go.”

*** ~~~ ***

The morning of the trial, Tony had a hard time convincing Loki to stay behind. He knew that if Lyssa was upset enough by her brothers even Thor would have a hard time containing him. 

In the end, he grudgingly let Loki accompany them. As a precaution, Steve and Bucky would also join them. Tony warned him that if he caused a scene or went after Lyssa’s brothers, the soldiers had permission to pound him into the ground. 

Lyssa also took him aside, per Tony’s request. She held his hands and looked up at him. 

“Listen, I know that you want to protect me, and I truly do appreciate it,” she said quietly. “But I need you to remain calm for me. Can you do that?”

“I will, for you, my dear,” he replied. “It may be difficult, though.”

“Maybe you should remove this bracelet, then. Would that help?”

“No,” Loki pressed his lips to her palm. “I will behave.”

She smiled at him, then walked with him where the others were waiting. Tony watched Loki closely until they walked into the courtroom. Lyssa sat at the defendants’ table, between Tony and the lawyer. The others sat in the row directly behind them, with Loki between Steve and Thor. Lyssa turned her chair around so that she could hold Loki’s hand until it was time to start. 

When her brothers came in, she turned away from them, looking at Tony instead. He gave her a reassuring nod while placing his hand lightly on her back. 

After a few minutes, the judge came in and they all stood, then sat down. Lyssa tried to keep her knees from shaking when the bailiff called court to order. Then she remembered the enchantment on the bracelet as she toyed with it. 

The judge took a few minutes to arrange his desk, then looked over the file on the case against Lyssa and Tony. 

“The case before me is a personal injury suit against Lyssa McAlister and Tony Stark,” the judge said, pausing to look at Tony for a moment. 

It was obvious that he’d then recognized Tony. The judge’s gaze then went to the men sitting in the front row. 

“And it appears that we have several Avengers with us as well as Mr. Stark,” he said. 

The court observers started to murmur softly, with some of them standing slightly to get a look at the team. 

The judge called for order before things got out of hand. 

“Alright, let’s get started. Counselor?”

The judge motioned to the plaintiff’s table. The lawyer stood and laid out his case. 

“We allege that Ms. McAlister attacked her brothers without provocation and caused significant injuries to both of them. The attack happened in Stark Tower, therefore as the property owner and her employer, Mr. Stark is partly responsible for her actions.”

“That would explain the price tag you put on him,” the judge commented, checking his papers again. “Call your first witness.”

Scott was the first to take the stand and Lyssa nearly laughed at his exaggerated movements. The altercation had happened over five weeks prior and he was acting like it had happened just the day before. Tony nudged her knee with his when her hands gripped her armrests. 

His lawyer led him through his version of events, something that outraged Lyssa, but she kept her anger tamped down to avoid disrupting court and to keep Loki from reacting to his spell on the bracelet. 

Tony’s lawyer passed on asking questions of Scott, then Charles was called to the stand. His version was similar to Scott’s, in that Lyssa had attacked them first, and Tony’s lawyer had no questions for him either, and he was excused from the stand. 

“Why isn’t he asking questions?” Lyssa asked Tony in a whisper. 

“He doesn’t need to. Just be patient.”

“We also have video of the incident.” The brothers’ lawyer said. 

“Go ahead, Counselor.”

The lawyer played the security video that they had subpoenaed from the tower, and everyone watched it silently. 

“I did all that?” Lyssa whispered. 

“You sure did.” Tony grinned at her. 

“Geez.”

“The video speaks for itself in showing the defendant attacking her brothers without warning,” the lawyer said, once the video ended. “We rest our case.”

Tony’s lawyer then stood and faced the judge. 

“I’m not certain which video the counselor was watching, but we contend that it shows that Ms. McAlister’s brothers provoked her and went there with the intent to coerce her into signing a document for fraudulent purposes.”

Lyssa ignored a pointed glare from Scott by turning slightly toward Tony. She took a deep breath when her lawyer called her to the stand. Standing slowly, she dropped her hand over the bannister just long enough for Loki to touch her fingers. 

Once she was settled, the lawyer asked her to recount what had happened that day. 

“My brothers brought a document for me to sign that gave them access to my bank accounts.”

“And why would they do that?”

“They think that I stole money from our parents’ estate.”

“Is this the document in question?” The lawyer handed her a small packet of papers, then gave the other lawyer a copy.

Lyssa looked through each page carefully, she’d been instructed. A guard had picked up the papers after she’d flung them at Scott. 

“Yes, sir,” she replied. 

“And how do you recognize them?”

“I underlined a couple of sentences before letting my manager in our legal department read the document. I wanted a second opinion.”

“And once you told them that you wouldn’t sign the document, what happened?”

“Scott grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let go.”

“Your Honor, here is a photo that was taken of the resulting bruises that Scott McAlister left on his sister’s arm when he grabbed her.”

Lyssa took a quick glance at Loki, and he appeared to be calm on the outside, but she could tell by the tension in his shoulders and jaw that he was anything but calm. 

“Ms. McAlister, would you mind taking us through the video again? Your Honor, the video that we have _and_ the one supplied to the plaintiffs has audio as well, although we’re not certain why they chose not to use that one.”

Lyssa nodded, then watched the video as requested. The lawyer paused at the spot where Lyssa explained that Charles had tried to stop her from going upstairs with the document. 

“As you can see and hear, Judge, Charles McAlister attempted to put his hands on her first, while trying to prevent her from getting a legal opinion on these papers.”

The lawyer fast-forwarded the video to the part where Lyssa had returned from the legal department. He let it play until Loki was seen separating her from Charles. 

“As you heard, Your Honor, Ms. McAlister’s brothers came here with the express intent to confront and antagonize her. She reacted only when they touched her first, after accusing her of stealing money.”

The lawyer then turned to Lyssa.

“Ms. McAlister, how long has it been since you’d seen your brothers, before they showed up at Stark Tower?”

“Eight years.”

“Were you surprised to see them?”

“Yes.”

“Why was that?”

“Because….our parents died eight years ago, and they forced me out of the family home when they sold it while I was still living there.”

“How old were you then?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Judge, I object to this line of questioning as I fail to see how it pertains to the personal injury suit.” The other lawyer stood to address the court.

“If the plaintiffs antagonized the defendant so that she felt that she had to defend herself, then it’s relevant to her state of mind,” Tony’s lawyer replied. 

“Objection overruled, for now. Let’s not go any deeper than necessary, Counselor.”

“Did they provide you with any money or means of support?”

“I- I was given a hundred dollars and a motel room for a week. I had to decide between food and a place to stay, so I paid for a couple extra nights and bought crackers, Cokes and Ramen noodles to eat until I found a way to get to one of the colleges that had accepted me. I only had the clothes on my back and no more money, and nowhere to sleep.”

The court observers began murmuring again, then went silent at the crack of the judge’s gavel. Lyssa stole a look at Thor, Steve and Bucky and wished that she hadn’t. They all looked like they were ready to explode. She was glad that Loki had known beforehand, otherwise, things might have gone off the rails.

“Counselor, I think that’s enough,” the judge said. “Any further questions for this witness?”

“No, Your Honor.”

“Ms. McAlister, I understand that you studied to be a lawyer?”

“Yes, sir. I graduated last spring and have just taken the bar exam. I don’t expect to hear whether I passed until the end of February.”

“Well, good luck. You may step down.”

Lyssa returned to her seat on wobbly legs, pointedly ignoring her brothers as they watched her. Tony poured a glass of water for her, which she gratefully drank. 

“You did well,” he told her softly. “When this is over, I have a rather nasty surprise for those jackasses.”

Lyssa strangled on a sip of water and looked at him in consternation. He patted her back with a grin. 

“Court is in recess while I deliberate.”

Everyone stood as the judge rose and went to his chambers. 

“I’m hungry. Who’s hungry?” Tony then asked Lyssa and the others. “There’s a little cafe across the street.”

“I don’t know that I could eat anything,” Lyssa replied. “How long do you think he’ll be?”

“It’s really impossible to tell,” the lawyer replied. “But I feel confident.”

“Come on, let’s go across the street.”

*** *** ***

At the cafe, everyone ordered something quick in case they had to leave while eating. Lyssa only wanted an order of French fries, which she just picked at. She declined any efforts in getting her to eat more. 

Loki sat close beside her, his arm across her shoulders while she leaned against him. His hand occasionally played with her hair, and he would also kiss her temple. 

“How much more do we not know about those two?” Steve finally asked. 

“Oh, a lot more, which we will not be discussing here,” Tony replied, to Lyssa’s relief. “We used only the lite version so that they weren’t tipped off to anything else.”

Lyssa looked at him curiously, but he only winked at her. Before any further questions could be raised, the lawyer received word that the judge was ready to rule. 

Loki had to help her up, since her legs didn’t want to work. She held onto his arm tightly while they walked back over to the courthouse. 

As they started to go back into the courtroom, her brothers and their lawyer were just returning as well, and they all were crowded at the double doors. Steve, Bucky and Thor stood almost shoulder to shoulder to shield Lyssa from them, while keeping her and Loki behind them. Lyssa kept a firm grip on Loki’s forearm while he glared.

They all escorted her back in, before taking their previous seats. 

The judge returned to the bench, looked over his papers, then asked Lyssa and Tony to stand. He put his hand under her elbow to steady her. 

“Based on the evidence presented to me, and especially that video, I find the defendants not guilty. Ms. McAlister clearly defended herself from an attempt to unlawfully restrain her.”

Lyssa’s knees almost buckled, but Tony kept her steady. 

“This lawsuit is without merit, gentlemen,” the judge said, looking at the brothers. “Mr. Stark had graciously agreed to cover your medical costs, but I’m not even going to have him do that. This case is over.”

Lyssa did sit down then as she fought to keep from crying in relief. 

“Now, there is another matter to attend to,” the judge went on. “Bailiffs, please take those two into custody and hold them pending extradition back to Georgia to face charges of fraud and theft by taking.”

“What?!” Scott shouted, angrily. 

“You heard me.”

Lyssa stood to watch while her brothers were handcuffed. They didn’t go willingly and struggled hard against the bailiffs as they were ushered out of the courtroom. 

“Was it wrong to hope they’d get tased?” She asked Tony quietly. 

He grinned at her and ruffled her hair. “I was kinda hoping the same thing.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me, if you’ve made it this far. I’m working diligently on this. Just need to get my thoughts together for the next step. :)

Lyssa was quiet on the drive back to the tower. She was deep in thought, and Tony watched her. 

“What are you thinking ?” He finally asked. 

“I’m thinking that since they’ve been arrested, things are much worse than I thought,” she replied, softly. 

“Oh, yes, much worse,” he confirmed. “My guys found the original will, plus documents that had your signature on them...your forged signature, rather.”

Lyssa took a deep breath, and quickly looked out the window, hoping to hide her brimming tears. 

“Your father made it very clear that you were to be taken care of,” he told her, gently. 

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she struggled to control her emotions. 

“So, your brothers are being held without bail, and their assets have been frozen until this matter is resolved. It will mean a trip home for you, because you’ll be a key witness against them. The prosecution will also subpoena some of the guards on duty that day,” he explained. “Your brothers’ attorney will likely request a change of venue, seeing as most everyone in your town knows all of you, but we’re still waiting on word on that.”

Lyssa nodded as she held Loki’s hand tightly. Loki decided that he would renew and strengthen the calming spell on her bracelet, because her emotions were still getting the best of her. 

“It’s been a long day for everyone, so I want you to rest when we get home. I’ll go over some things that my guys found out, but I can’t tell you everything due to the case against your brothers.”

“Alright,” she replied, leaning against Loki tiredly. 

“I know that you’re tired of hearing ‘don’t worry’, but this is nothing like what we just went through,” he said. “Your brothers made this mess themselves and now they’re going to be held accountable. “

“And you’re not to feel sorry for them,” Loki said. 

“Right.” Tony agreed. 

When they arrived back at the tower, Lyssa went down to her & Loki’s shared apartment to change before going back up to the main kitchen to find something to eat. The others joined her, helping to put together a quick meal, then cleaning up. 

Afterwards, they sat at the table with coffee and desserts. Tony got up and brought over some short glasses and distributed them out. 

“Break out one of those bottles that you’re hiding,” he told Loki. “Come on, let’s have one.”

Loki produced the one that was already opened and gave it to him. Tony poured himself some of the whiskey then passed the bottle around. Loki poured for Lyssa, then himself, then pushed the bottle out of her reach. Lyssa gave him a dour look, to which he merely grinned. 

“A toast,” Tony said, with a mischievous grin. “We fought the law, and won.”

Lyssa couldn’t help but laugh, mostly in relief that she wasn’t going to be five million dollars in debt before she’d even paid off her school loans. 

“And to those jackasses who are not gonna win.” 

*** ~~ ***

Later that evening, Lyssa and Loki returned to their new apartment. It had two bedrooms, one slightly smaller than the other, and two baths, plus an open living space and kitchen. Lyssa had put her bedroom furniture into the smaller bedroom, and Loki had made it perfectly clear that she would not be sleeping in her bed alone, ever. 

“Even if we have a royal fight and I’m so mad at you that I can’t see straight?” She’d asked. 

“ _Especially_ then,” he’d responded. 

She’d agreed then, realizing that she wouldn’t win either way. They’d combined their books onto a large bookcase, and he’d told her about some of his that he’d put on the top shelves. 

“They are spell books, and I’d rather you not take them down, even though you wouldn’t be able to read them. They are covered with seidr and I don’t want to risk any accidents.”

“I thought you said no booby-traps,” she said, uneasily. 

“I’m only saying there’s magic on them and would rather you not touch them.”

“Alright, I won’t bother them.”

“Thank you,” he said, kissing her forehead. 

“Of course,” she replied, wrapping her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest. “I am so relieved to have today over with.”

“Once this other unpleasantness is done with, you’ll feel better,” he said, stroking her head. 

“Hmmm.” Lyssa closed her eyes for a few minutes while he held her. “Shower, then bed?”

“I’d prefer a bath.”

“Bath, then. I’ll go start one.”

Lyssa let go of him to pad to the bathroom; once the bath was started, she came back out for a gown and to kick her shoes off. Loki had already put his shoes into the closet and was unbuttoning his shirt. Lyssa immediately went over to him to brush his hands aside so that she could finish for him. 

“That’s my job and I rather like doing it,” she told him with a smile. 

Loki put his hand on the back of her neck to draw her close for a kiss while her hands moved over his bare chest, then down his arms as she pushed the shirt off him. He caught his breath when she also made short work of tossing his belt aside. 

Lyssa took his hand and led him to the bathroom. Once they were in the tub, he arranged her on his lap so that she leaned against him. She curled into him, drowsing while his fingers slowly ran up and down her back. The other hand caressed her hip and thigh. 

“What’s Georgia like?” He asked, quietly. 

“Where we’re going is lightly populated and rural, so you’ll see lots of trees, unlike here,” she replied. “The cities or towns are smaller, and the buildings are not so tall. It would be cold right now, but not like it is here, and it snows only occasionally.”

“I look forward to seeing it,” he said. 

Lyssa’s hand ran slowly down his arm, causing his muscles to jump. The water was warm and soothing, and his heartbeat under her ear, calming. She then turned her face up in order press a kiss against his jaw. 

Loki raised his hand to stroke her cheek, then slid to to her neck while capturing her lips in a soft kiss. She took a deep breath before sitting up and moving to straddle his lap, arching when his hands caressed her back. 

Lyssa locked her fingers around the back of his neck while she pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes. 

“I love you,” she whispered, lips just barely touching his. “And I’m afraid of what’s to come.”

“Everything will be fine, and I’ll be with you. The others may also go,” he said, drily. 

She couldn’t help but laugh at that. They both knew he couldn’t go without Thor escorting him. 

“Maybe they’re coming along so that I don’t tangle with them again,” she grinned at him. 

Loki smiled at her then, before drawing her closer to kiss her again. He then lifted her carefully to guide her so that he could press into her. Her eyelids fluttered while her arms went to his shoulders as they moved together until she finally shuddered, gasping against his neck. Her nails then marked his skin lightly when he reached his own release, with him gripping her backside rather hard. 

“Oooh, easy….” her laugh was breathless. 

Loki kissed her in apology while her hands went into his hair. After a few minutes, they left the tub, dried off and then went to bed. Loki then spent a good portion of the night driving them both to exhaustion. Lyssa fell into a blissful sleep, tucked against his side while he savored the warmth of her body against him and played with a strand of her hair. 

While she slept, he renewed the calming spell on her bracelet. 

 

*** ~~~ ***

During February, Lyssa spent time waiting for the results of her bar exam while Tony reviewed what he could of her brothers’ case with her. Subpoenas had been sent out for the trial that was to start at the beginning of March. Her brothers’ attorney had won a change of venue and the trial would be held in the next county over from her hometown. 

“I don’t know if that will be much help to them,” Lyssa commented. “My parents were pretty well known in that whole area.”

“Yeah well, there’s that,” Tony commented with a shrug. “I should tell you that there are some people that thought they had killed you, after you disappeared without a word or trace.”

Lyssa was shocked at that. “I didn’t know that. I guess I was too stunned and lost to try to reach out to anyone.”

“Understandable.” 

“How long do you think the trial will take?”

“The DA thinks maybe two weeks, if that.”

“Listen, I think it would be a good idea to let Thor, Steve and Bucky know what I told you that day in your office. They shouldn’t be surprised like that and I’ve already told Loki. Thor may be better able to head off any outbursts from him.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll tell them today.”

She nodded, before standing. “Guess I’d better go decide what to pack.”

*** ~~~ ***

Tony rented a large house on the outskirts of the town where the trial would be held. He also brought some guards with them to prevent them from being disturbed. He especially wanted Lyssa to be able to rest and remain calm. 

They arrived a day early so that they could relax and unwind in preparation for the upcoming ordeal, staying in the house and cooking food that had been stocked for them. 

After helping to clean the kitchen, Lyssa excused herself to turn in early, wanting nothing more than to get it over with. Loki joined her later, rather surprised to find that she was still awake. 

Once he’d laid down beside her, she held her wrist with the bracelet out to him. He looked at her questioningly. 

“Please remove the spell that tells you how I’m feeling. I need to concentrate on what’s going on and not whether my emotions are going to set you off. It’s going to be hard enough without worrying about you.”

When he didn’t move, she sat up and looked at him. She continued to hold out her wrist. 

“Loki. Please remove the spell, or the bracelet.”

“Very well,” he finally responded, albeit reluctantly. 

He placed his fingers between the bracelet and her wrist, then whispered in a language that she didn’t understand. She felt a coolness where his skin touched hers, before he placed a kiss on the pulse point. 

She laid back down and put her head in his shoulder, sighing when he pulled her closer.

“Do you have any spells on my ring?”

“No.”

Lyssa raised her head to look at him and he returned her gaze. She nodded before resuming her previous position. 

“Alright. Thank you.”


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, everyone was up and dressed for the start of the trial. Bucky and Lyssa had made breakfast, although she didn’t eat much of it due to nerves. After cleaning up, they got into the waiting cars that would take them to the courthouse. 

Lyssa held Loki’s hand as they walked up the steps to the courthouse, joining the line for the security checkpoint. She drew her coat closer around her due to the cold wind.

“Not as cold as New York but that wind will get you,” she commented. 

As she and her companions entered the courtroom, the people already there stopped and watched them. Lyssa paid no mind, thinking that the men had been recognized. Tony led them toward the front row, after seeing that the DA was at her table, getting her files in order. 

Loki helped Lyssa take off her coat, and she looked around before sitting down between Loki and Bucky. She played with her ring until Loki placed his hand over hers. 

“You look handsome this morning,” she whispered. 

He smiled at her while leaning down to accept a quick kiss, then put his arm around her shoulders to draw her closer. 

“You’re always beautiful, my pet,” he responded. 

The people around them had started taking their seats when a commotion was heard from the hallway. 

“ _Where is she?_ ” A voice demanded as the courtroom door opened. “ _Lyssa McAlister!_ ”

Lyssa jumped, then turned to look for who had called her name. An older lady was being escorted down the aisle, and Lyssa recognized her as one of her mother’s friends. Lyssa squeezed Loki’s hand before getting up to go greet her. 

“Mrs. Harding?”

“There you are, I’d recognize that hair anywhere!”

Lyssa laughed as she walked closer. The woman reached for her and hugged her fiercely, with tears in her eyes. 

“I thought they’d killed you, child.”

“I didn’t realize that people would think that, or I’d have reached out,” Lyssa replied quietly. “Are you staying for the trial?”

“I certainly am,” the woman replied. “I want to see those two asses get what’s coming to them.”

Lyssa couldn’t help but laugh at that and squeezed the woman’s hand. 

“Now, did I or did I not see Captain Steve Rogers with you?” Mrs. Harding’s eyes practically gleamed. 

“Yes, you did.”

“Is he your beau?”

“No,” Lyssa replied. “My beau is the one in the dark suit.”

“Ah, you always did like boys with long hair.”

“Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Lyssa led the woman down the aisle and introduced her to the others. When Mrs. Harding asked if she could sit with them, Bucky immediately offered his seat, which was between Lyssa and Steve. She and Lyssa chatted quietly for a few minutes until Mrs. Harding turned her attention to Steve. 

Lyssa turned slightly in her chair to look at Thor and Bucky, who were sitting behind her and Loki. Bucky gave her a grin, while Thor winked at her. When she turned to face forward, Loki once again put his arm around her. 

When the bailiffs entered the room, everyone got quiet while they waited for the judge. The jury selection had already taken place, and the jurors were waiting to be led in. Lyssa’s brothers were then brought in and seated. Lyssa didn’t look at them, she just kept her gaze on Loki’s hand, which was holding hers firmly. 

Once the judge and jury were seated, the DA laid out her case: grand theft of land and forgery. 

As she went through the charges, the people in the room murmured softly to each other. Lyssa could feel their gazes on her, and stole a glance at her brothers, finding that Scott had turned to look at her. She averted her gaze from him. 

The defense attorney then had his turn enter a ‘not guilty’ plea and to refute the charges. 

After both sides had presented their cases, Lyssa was called to the stand. She took a deep breath before getting up and walking across the room to be sworn in. 

“Ms. McAlister, good morning.”

“Good morning,” Lyssa replied. 

“First, I’d like for you tell us what happened the year your parents died, what did your brothers do, and how did they act.”

Lyssa recounted her story, telling how her brothers had sold off property, animals, then the land and house, then how Charles had left her at the motel. 

“Did you sign any documents?”

“I believe I signed something on the day of the funeral, but nothing else.”

“What did Scott tell you about the document that you did sign?”

“Just that it was to insure that the funeral home was paid.”

“Is this your signature?”

The DA handed her some papers and Lyssa looked them over carefully. 

“Yes, this is what I signed that day, and it’s dated the same day.”

“Very good. Please read over it and tell us what it says.”

Lyssa looked through the document again before answering. 

“It gives Scott authorization to use some of my inheritance to help pay for a third of the funeral costs.”

The DA took the papers back, then handed Lyssa another set. 

“Is this your signature?”

“No, I never signed anything else for them.”

“How do you know it’s not your signature?”

“I was at Appalachian State University on the date this was signed.”

“And what is this document for?”

Lyssa looked it over, before giving Scott a look of betrayal. “It gives Scott my power of attorney.”

“And even though this is notarized, you didn’t sign it.”

“Correct.”

“Your Honor, we have several examples of Ms. McAlister’s handwriting and have an affidavit from a handwriting expert in Atlanta that the signature on the power of attorney, and the subsequent documents, doesn’t match known examples of her signature.”

The DA passed the documents to the jury for them to look at. Once they had been passed back to her, the DA presented other documents that included bills of sale for the farm equipment, livestock, then the land and finally the house. 

Lyssa looked at each set of papers that had her forged signature, and the amount of money that had been received by her brothers was staggering. There was also a paper to transfer her college fund into their accounts. 

All these papers were passed to the jury, then passed back to the DA. 

“All told, with the sale of the farm, et al, plus Ms. McAlister’s college fund, Scott and Charles McAlister received an estimated six million dollars from their parents’ estate.”

“Six million,” Lyssa whispered in horror. “ _And you would have let me starve?!_ ”

The DA gave her a couple of minutes to compose herself while the courtroom was filled with angry murmurs. 

“Ms. McAlister, why did your brothers visit you in New York?”

“They wanted me to sign something to allow them access to my bank account. They said that money was missing from the estate and they thought that I had taken it.”

The defense attorney objected at this, claiming hearsay. 

“Judge, we have a video from Stark Tower that corroborates Ms. McAlister’s testimony.”

“Objection overruled.”

“What happened after that?”

“I didn’t sign it, yet my bank account was wiped out. They took money intended for my rent, school loans and...food.”

“How much money?”

“Around nine thousand. It was all I had.”

The DA presented a copy of the bank statement that she’d given Tony once she’d discovered that her money was missing, and the jurors were given a chance to look at it. 

“Do you know anything about the money that is allegedly missing?”

“No, I never had access to my parents’ finances nor did I ask about it. It wasn’t my business when they were alive.”

“Judge, I’d like to play the video from Stark Tower from the day that Scott and Charles confronted their sister.”

“Proceed.”

Lyssa didn’t watch the video, she just looked at Loki, then Thor until it was over. There was a scattering of applause once it was over. 

“We also have another video that Tony Stark recorded in his office, the day after this happened.”

“Go ahead.”

The video of Lyssa telling Tony what her brothers had done was played then. After it was over, the DA had no more questions for her. The defense challenged her whereabouts on the dates that the documents had been signed, but she had proof that she had been in a different state and had been in classes on those days. 

She was then dismissed from the stand but subject to recall. The DA went through each document that had been presented that day, explaining how the brothers had committed fraud by having someone forge her signature in order to sell property that had been willed to her and placed in her name by her parents, and to exclude her from any inheritance. There were many more that still were to be presented. 

Lyssa was shocked to hear that the house, and the land around it been willed to her, along with the parcel that was meant for her to build her own house on. 

Other witnesses were called, as Tony’s investigator was very thorough. Then the forensic accountant took the stand. Lyssa was surprised again to find that there was another bank account after all, and it had been separated from their main account. It was set up so that no one but Lyssa could touch it. 

Tony had been watching the attorney and the brothers during the presentation of evidence, and could tell when they realized that their boat was taking on water.

The judge called recess for lunch, and her brothers were escorted out. Lyssa stood shakily, and took Loki’s hand after he helped her put on her coat. Steve escorted Mrs. Harding out of the courtroom. 

“I’ll see you all after lunch,” the woman said, giving Steve’s hand a pat. 

They separated and Tony led them toward a restaurant that was down the block. He’d paid the owner a generous amount to close during lunch except for them. 

They sat down and ordered, then once they were alone, Lyssa looked at Tony. 

“I had no idea how much money the property was worth,” she said. 

“Your father was a pretty good businessman. He invested well, and apparently had a good eye for cattle.”

Lyssa nodded as she idly caressed Loki’s hand. The evidence against her brothers had exhausted her. They had went through great lengths to make sure that she was excluded from the estate, and it bewildered her. 

“And this hidden account?”

“Maybe they had an idea what would happen,” Tony replied, softly. 

Lyssa gave a sad smile before burying her face against Loki’s neck. His arm came around her as he held her tightly. 

Once they’d eaten, they went back to the courthouse to wait for court to be back in session. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent presenting more evidence of fraud and forgery through the eight years since their parents’ deaths. 

Once court was recessed for the day, they returned to the house for the evening. Lyssa went to the bedroom that she and Loki shared to change clothes before helping to make dinner. 

“I think Mrs. Harding has a crush on you,” she told Steve with a grin. 

His laugh was good natured as he helped in the kitchen. Lyssa was busy slicing apples to make a pie with while the others (less Loki and Tony) prepared the meal. They weren’t really good at cooking, so they were kept out of the way. 

Once she got the pie in the oven, she stepped over to help Thor finish making the salad while Bucky was on the back porch grilling steaks. 

After everything was done, they sat down to eat, just enjoying the solitude. Lyssa ate what she wanted of her steak and gave Loki the remainder before going to check on the pie. 

“There’s ice cream in the freezer if you want it with the pie,” she said. 

“Definitely,” Bucky replied. 

Lyssa brought the pie and ice cream to the table before cutting and serving it. She had a small slice for herself while the men consumed the remainder, along with the ice cream. 

They cleaned the kitchen and then Lyssa grabbed her coat, then stuffed couple of apples into her pockets. 

“I’m going for a walk,” she told Loki. “I need to clear my head. I won’t go far, and I think I saw saw horses out in the field.”

“Alright,” he replied, kissing her. 

She left the house and walked out toward the fence line to see if she could entice the horses to her. Once they came to her, she used a pocket knife that she’d found to cut the apples she carried in half. After petting them and feeding all the apples, she walked further until she was thoroughly chilled from the wind. 

The quiet of the countryside was something she’d missed when she had moved to New York, and she’d almost come back home, but then decided to stay as far away from her brothers as she could get. 

She missed having a horse and riding through the fields along the creek that had run through her family’s property. But most of all, she missed her parents, and the family life she’d had before they died. She couldn’t fathom why her brothers would treat her so badly. 

Tears started to flow unchecked, with the cold wind chapping her face. She hastily wiped them before heading back to the house. The horses she’d fed earlier walked alongside the fence, hoping for more apples. She petted their noses before leaving them behind. 

When she came back into the house, it was just getting dark, and Loki was there to take her coat from her. He knew that she was tired just from looking at her. She glanced up at him with an unconvincing smile. 

“It’s colder out there than I thought. The wind is pretty strong,” she told him while wiping her face. “My ears and nose are cold.”

“And no gloves,” he commented. 

“Ok, my hands are cold too.”

“Come on.”

Loki took her by the hand and led her to the large bedroom that they’d been given. Lyssa kicked off her boots and socks, then finished undressing. Loki tucked her under the covers once she got settled. 

She was almost asleep when he quietly left the room and closed the door behind him. He returned to the living room where the others were sitting and took his seat. 

“Today was exhausting for her,” he commented. “Are there any more surprises?”

“Just the amount in that untouched bank account,” Tony replied. “If those idiots hadn’t been so greedy and determined to get their hands on it, they would have gotten away with defrauding her. I’m rather surprised that they haven’t changed their plea by now. There’s so much more evidence against them, it’s not even funny.”

“How much time are they facing?” Bucky asked. 

“These are felony charges, so the minimum is fifteen years,” Tony responded. “Since the defense isn’t putting up much of a fight, we may be done by the end of the week, then it goes to the jury.”

Loki nodded then stood again. “Goodnight.”

He returned to the bedroom, then slid in bed beside Lyssa after undressing. She immediately turned to put her head on his shoulder and an arm across him. He hugged her to him while running his fingers up and down her arm. 

He felt just a tiny bit of helplessness since he could no longer feel her emotions, as she’d had him remove the spell from her bracelet, but had to admit that he felt calmer. Her emotions had been on a rollercoaster since her brothers had showed up. 

“I love you,” she whispered sleepily. 

“I love you back, little one,” he murmured. 

He felt her smile against his neck before she snuggled closer.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter isn’t a let down. I feel like I’ve run out of steam, but we gots to get back to NYC. 👍👍❤️❤️

Lyssa woke up very early the next day, before anyone else. She carefully left Loki sleeping when she got up to go to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, she was sitting on the porch swing with a cup of coffee and bundled up in a blanket in order to watch the sunrise. 

The walk from the day before and this quiet time before everyone woke up had cleared her thoughts, and she decided that she would no longer allow her brothers to victimize her. They’d done everything they could to see that she had no means of support and no ties to her parents or them. She felt that her parents would be aghast at what they’d done, and probably ashamed of them, too. 

“Well, if they don’t want me as a sister, who needs them?” She asked herself, outloud, while finishing her coffee. 

She went back into the house to find that Loki had just gotten up to look for her. 

“Hey, I hope I didn’t worry you, I was out on the porch swing,” she told him. “I wanted to watch the sunrise.”

“I didn’t feel you get up,” he replied, drawing her into his arms then kissing her cold lips. “You’re not properly dressed to sit outside in the cold.”

“I wasn’t out there that long,” she responded, rubbing her hands up and down his back. 

“Something’s different with you. What is it?” He asked. 

“It’s just that I’ve decided that I’m not going to let them upset me any longer. They’re not going to keep me weak simply because they didn’t want me as their sister,” she said, determinedly. 

“I suspected that there was a strength in you, deep down,” he told her, with a smile. 

“I guess it’s like my temper, it only comes out when I’ve had enough,” she replied. 

Loki shook his head at her, then let her go when they heard movement from the other rooms. Lyssa went to get her robe before the others came to the kitchen. 

*** ~~~ ***

Court was again in session, and they all were in the same seats from the previous day. Mrs. Harding joined them, once again sitting between Lyssa and Steve. 

The DA continued to present forged documents that the brothers had used to wipe out their parents’ estate, plus she called witnesses. Once she’d finished, the defense then presented their case. The brothers decided not to take the stand in their defense and their lawyer appeared to be in way over his head, in light of all the evidence against his clients. His only option was to question Lyssa. 

She reluctantly returned to the stand and sat up straight. 

“Ms. McAlister, please tell us what you did once you left home.”

“I had been accepted at Appalachian State University, so I bought a bus ticket to get there with the bit of money that I had left.”

“How did you pay for your tuition?”

“I had a small scholarship for softball, I got a job and took out a student loan.”

“And you had no other means of support?” 

“No. Nothing.”

“Did you ever return to Georgia?”

“No. My brothers obviously didn’t want me there, so I never went back.”

“Where do you live now?”

“In New York, in Stark Tower.”

“And you’re sure that you never signed any of these documents, other than the one given to you on the day of your parents’ funeral?”

“Quite sure.”

“Why do you think you brothers excluded you from getting a portion of their estate?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then I imagine that it would be a surprise if I were to tell you that you’re not actually related to them, and therefore weren’t entitled to any of their property?”

“What?” Lyssa asked, weakly, as the court room erupted in shock. 

“Order!”

Lyssa stole a look at Scott and Charles, who had smug looks on their faces. Lyssa sat up straight, determined not to let them see how badly she’d been shaken. Loki watched her and wanted to hurt those brothers, badly. Thor, who sat behind him, saw the tension in his brother’s shoulders and hoped that Loki would control himself. 

The DA stood to object, since the defense hadn’t included this information in their discovery packet, and the judge called them to sidebar. Lyssa took a quick glance at Tony, who motioned to her that everything was okay. 

The DA had a surprise of her own, since she had felt that the brothers were going to try this route. She produced a DNA test that Tony’s investigator had done, which proved that Lyssa was in fact the full sister of the brothers. 

She also had hospital records from when Lyssa had been younger, where her parents had undergone testing for a hereditary disease, because Lyssa had been sick and they wanted to rule it out. The DNA from all three had matched. 

“How do we know that the DA’s test was actually done and is correct?”

“This test was done more recently than yours, with DNA taken from Ms. Alexander’s employee packet from Stark Industries. The other samples of Scott and Charles McAlister were collected by law enforcement while they were jailed. The chain of custody is here.”

The judge looked over the document and then gave the defense attorney a hard look. 

“I hope that this isn’t an effort on your part, or your clients’, to throw a wrench in these proceedings.”

“Of course not, Judge.”

“Then it seems that this was an attempt to traumatize their sister further.”

“No…”

The judge cut him off angrily. “There will be no further surprises from you or your clients, or I will hold you in contempt. Finish with this witness.”

The lawyers returned to their tables, and the defense dismissed Lyssa, then the DA presented her DNA evidence. 

Lyssa took Loki’s hand once she returned to her seat, and Mrs. Harding patted her knee. 

After lunch, the DA rested her case, allowing the defense to rebut her evidence before she addressed the jury for the final time. Then the jury left to deliberate. 

Lyssa and the others went back to the restaurant to wait until the end of the day in case the jurors came in early. Lyssa was still a bit shaken by the DNA fiasco. 

“I guess it would make more sense for them to treat me this way if I weren’t truly related to them,” she commented, while picking at her salad. 

“Those two are idiots,” Tony scoffed. “They’re just trying to throw in doubt and to upset you.”

She nodded, before finally pushing her food away. Instead, she ordered a piece of chocolate cake and shared it with Loki. 

“Oh, they never did cover that other bank account that my parents had set up,” she said suddenly. 

“The judge ordered that off limits until this is done, since you’re the only beneficiary for it.”

“Oh?”

“Yep, let’s just say that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Lyssa took a deep breath while pushing the remainder of the cake toward Loki. She then fidgeted with her ring while looking at her hands. 

“Lyssa.”

They all looked around when Mrs. Harding approached their table with a small box. Steve immediately got up to take it from her and pulled up a chair for her. 

“I won’t stay long but I thought you might like to have these. They’re DVD’s that your mother gave me of your sports activities. You probably don’t have any copies, right?”

“No, I didn’t get to get anything out of the house,” Lyssa replied. “This is so sweet, thank you.”

“I thought your friends here might like to see them,” her friend said. 

Lyssa looked over the discs and nodded. There were some from high school softball, skeet shooting, and rodeo. 

“What kind of activities are they?” Bucky asked. 

“Little bit of this, little bit of that,” Lyssa replied. 

“This girl could pitch a softball like nobody’s business,” Mrs. Harding replied with a laugh. “She helped to win a state championship.”

“Oh, that’s on the must see list,” Tony responded with a grin. 

“You should see her with a gun or on a horse. It’s all in there.”

“Some of these I did with Daddy,” Lyssa said, trying to get other hands out of the box. 

“We’re definitely going to watch these later,” Bucky said. 

“I may just hide them,” Lyssa grinned. 

“Don’t you dare,” Steve told her. 

Lyssa smiled at him as she took Loki’s hand and played with his fingers. She tickled his palm then jerked her hand away when he made to catch hers. She laughed softly while he tried not to grin. 

“You two look good together,” Mrs. Harding said, looking them over. “You could use a haircut, though.”

Loki wasn’t sure what to say to that and glanced at Lyssa, who squeezed his fingers. He steadfastly ignored Tony’s expression. 

“Nah, I like it the way it is.”

“Alright, dears, I’ll be going now. Hopefully that jury won’t take too long.”

The woman got up and left them. Steve and Bucky continued to look through the dvds, deciding what to watch first. 

“You’re not really interested in those, are you?” Lyssa asked. 

“You bet we are,” Bucky replied. 

“What’s a rodeo?” Loki asked. 

Lyssa explained about the rodeo, and which events she and her father participated in. She also explained about skeet shooting. 

“Hey, are there any discs in there of me bull riding?”

Steve and Bucky dove back into the box again.

“No…”

“Good, because I’m not that stupid.” She laughed at them. 

“Tease,” Bucky muttered. 

They continued to sit and chat as the afternoon wore on. They finally got word that the jury had reached a verdict. Loki helped her with her coat, then tucked her hand into his elbow while Steve picked up the box of discs. The closer they got to the courthouse, the more nervous Lyssa became. Loki placed his free hand over hers reassuringly. 

Once they got settled into their usual seats, with Mrs. Harding joining them, court was called back into session. The jury was let in. 

“I understand that we have a verdict,” the judge said, as a clerk handed him a slip of paper. He looked it over, then handed it back. 

“Will the defendants please rise,” the judge paused until they had done so. “You been found guilty on all charges, and are hereby sentenced to fifteen to twenty years in prison for forgery and felony theft. You assets will be liquidated until your sister receives the one-third of the inheritance due her.”

Lyssa didn’t have to look at them to feel the hatred pouring off Scott and Charles. She kept her gaze on the judge to avoid their glares. 

“Ms. McAlister, do you have anything to say?”

Lyssa stood and walked to a lectern that the DA indicated. She took a deep breath before speaking. 

“I don’t know why my brothers would do this to me, but I do know that our parents would be deeply, _deeply_ ashamed of them. Once this nastiness is over, I don’t want any further contact with them, and I want them to stay away from me.”

“I think they would be very stupid to approach you, given the fact that you have several of the Avengers at your back.”

“To be perfectly honest, Judge, I don’t think anyone could say that they’ve been very smart.”

“This is true,” he replied. “Now, before they are remanded, there is an announcement that I’d like to make.”

He picked up a different piece of paper and read it carefully before smiling at her. 

“It is my privilege to inform you that the results of your bar exam are in….and you passed.”

“What?” She asked, not sure that she’d heard correctly. 

“You passed, my dear.”

The courtroom burst into applause while she stood in shock. After a few minutes, her brothers were led out, then court was dismissed. Lyssa turned to go back to her seat, but her progress was halted when friends and acquaintances from her hometown converged on her to congratulate her. 

Tony and the others stood back to watch. Loki was rather grateful that he wasn’t in the midst of all those people that had crowded around her. She was at ease, and spoke to all that came to congratulate her. It was much later before the crowd thinned out enough where they could get to the cars. 

When they reached the rental house, a quick meal was made, eaten, then cleared before coffee and dessert was made. 

“So, their assets will be sold until you’re paid your share,” Tony told her, quietly. “The funds in the bank account have been released to you immediately.”

He slid a piece of paper across the table to her. Lyssa stared at it for a minute before reaching over to pull it closer. As she read it, she grew pale and her hand started to tremble. 

“Three million?” She felt rather nauseous. 

“Hmm, plus another two million once it’s recovered from those jackasses. They did their best to spend or hide every penny.”

“Oh, God.” Lyssa covered her eyes with a shaking hand. “I can pay off my loans….”

“About that, I’ve already paid them,” Tony told her. 

“No, that’s too much, Mr. Stark,” she protested. 

“It’s already done,” he shrugged it off. “And there’s a job waiting for you.”

After an awkward silence, Bucky chimed in. “Are we gonna watch these videos or not?”

“I suppose. Pick one while I go change,” Lyssa replied, getting up. 

She came back dressed in a large tee, sweat pants and socks, then sat down so close to Loki that she was almost under him. He put his arm across her shoulders and held her even closer and let her play with his fingers again. 

“What did you guys decide on?” She asked. 

“Skeet shoot.”

“What’s a skeet?” Thor asked. 

“Just a clay target,” Lyssa replied. “Watch.”

They watched the video, with Lyssa explaining the objectives to Loki and Thor. She and her father were a team, and just the sight of him in the video brought back fond memories of him. 

“We won several trophies at that,” Lyssa said. “Scott and Charles were never interested in any of this.”

“Softball next!” Steve said, popping in the disc he’d held out. 

“My mom had to video some of these, because daddy couldn’t be still for very long, he was excitable,” Lyssa told them with a laugh. 

They watched for a few minutes; Steve and Bucky were impressed. 

“How fast did you pitch?” Tony asked. 

“Seventy-eight was the fastest they recorded.”

“That’s pretty good,” Tony remarked, with a nod. 

“Thanks.”

Lyssa cuddled closer to Loki, then after a bit, they realized that she was half asleep, her head on his shoulder and an arm across his waist. Loki roused her gently. 

“Come on, bed for you.”

She sat up sleepily, looking around. “Sorry, guys, I’m wiped out. Watch all the videos you want.”

Loki took her hand and led her to their bedroom. Once there, he sat on the edge of the bed and drew her onto his lap, where he wrapped both arms around her and held her close. 

“I’ll be glad to get home and into our own bed,” she murmured, already about to go back to sleep. 

Loki closed his eyes when her fingers lightly stroked his throat. He thought about what she’d said: ‘home’ and ‘our bed.’ He liked the sound of that. It’d been so long since he’d considered any place home, and he certainly hadn’t shared a bed with someone in a long time. 

“I wanted to shower but I don’t think I can stand long enough,” she then said, with a soft laugh. 

Loki hugged her, then felt her hand on his cheek. She turned his face toward her so that she could kiss him, and his hand slid to the back of her head. 

“Mmm,” she breathed. “So nice.”

“Come on, lie down.”

Loki stood then to set her on her feet, then helped her get undressed. He covered her up, then undressed and slid in beside her, drawing her close to him. 

“When we do get home, I plan to ravish you.”

Her voice was so low that he wasn’t sure that he’d heard correctly, then he chuckled before kissing the top of her head. 

“I look forward to it.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now almost full circle. Thank you for reading my story. I truly hope you enjoyed it. One of my shortfalls is knowing where to stop. 😊❤️

The next morning, they were packed and ready to head to the airport for the flight home. They were to meet Mrs. Harding in town for breakfast before they left. After eating, they spent some time just talking. 

“I expect you to keep in touch,” Mrs. Harding told Lyssa, in a slightly scolding tone. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Lyssa replied, taking the woman’s hand, having already exchanged phone numbers and addresses with her. 

“And, you, Handsome, you’d better take care of her.”

“Of course,” Loki replied, inclining his head slightly. 

They all stood then, with Lyssa hugging her, then saying goodbye to a few other people that had stopped by to see them off. Loki led her out to the waiting car and helped her in, then the others got in. 

*** ~~~ ***

Upon returning to New York, Lyssa and Loki went immediately to their apartment, where she unpacked her small suitcase before storing it in the spare bedroom. She took a quick trip around the apartment, watering the few plants that were scattered about before stopping to stare out the large floor to ceiling window in the living area. 

Loki came to stand bedside her while she looked out over the city. 

“I always thought that I might return home one day, because I missed it so much at one time,” she said, softly. “I do miss being able to see land that’s not covered by asphalt or concrete, and to be able to see the sky without skyscrapers in the way.”

“And now?” He asked, quietly. 

“I guess I felt that way because I’d never lived anywhere else. The mountains in North Carolina were beautiful, especially when it snowed. This place will take some getting used to since the winters are more intense, but I’m sure I’ll adapt. Besides, I’ve always heard that home is where your heart is.”

She turned to him, slid her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against him. Loki put his arms around her, holding her close. 

“You are wise beyond your years,” he teased her, with a smile. 

“My mother always said that,” Lyssa replied. “I guess she knew that perhaps I’d eventually leave, and didn’t want me to feel like I was abandoning them. My heart was there. Now, it’s here, with you.”

He kissed the top of her head while he gave her a squeeze. After a moment, he felt her hands slide back around his waist as she slowly untucked his shirt so that she could touch his skin. She reached up to put her arms around his neck, then kissed him. Loki lifted her slightly while he returned the kiss.

“Bed,” she whispered, against his lips. “I believe I made a promise to you.”

Lyssa felt his arms tighten around her just before he slipped one under her knees to lift her against him. Her arms remained around his neck, while a hand slid through his hair. Her mouth teased his jaw, then his ear and neck while he strode into the bedroom. 

He sat on the edge of the bed, with her in his lap, and then slipped her shoes off, then started on her shirt. When both shirts had hit the floor, Lyssa wriggled out of his grip and got to her feet. She giggled while trying to avoid his hands, but he caught her by the waistband of her jeans and pulled her close so that he could kiss her stomach. 

“Lyssa,” Loki groaned when her hands went into his hair again. His fingers made fast work in unfastening her jeans and dragging them off her. 

When he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed, she protested and tried to sit up, but he pushed her back before joining her. 

“You may keep your promise later,” he breathed against her neck. “But right now, I want to feel you writhing beneath me.”

Her underwear was quickly dispensed with, then his clothes simply disappeared in a soft shimmer. He hadn’t done that before and Lyssa was impressed. 

“That certainly comes in handy,” she said, with an awed expression. 

He grinned at her before kissing her until she was breathless. Her arms circled his chest, then she gasped softly when his body claimed hers. 

“Loki.”

His name was murmured against his jaw, and caused a shudder to wrack through him. Loki’s hands went to her hair so that he could hold her head still while he moved against her. Lyssa raked her nails down his back until she gripped him hard when he brought her to climax, then followed her. 

She held onto him tightly, eyes closed, while his breath teased her ear. Loki turned to his side, bringing her with him, and held her close. They slept for a while before getting up for a shower before heading upstairs to join the others. 

“Have a nice nap?” Tony asked Loki, with a slight grin. 

“Pleasant enough,” was the reply. 

Lyssa glanced between the two of them silently, blushing slightly. Tony shrugged before handing something to Lyssa. 

“A little surprise for you,” he told her. “One of the investigators handed it to me just before we boarded the plane to head home.”

Lyssa took the roll of fabric and unrolled it to find jewelry: the jewelry that her mother had given her. She remembered every piece, and carefully touched them. 

“Jackass Number One had this in his house, in a small safe. He didn’t want to do anything with it, just wanted to keep it from you.”

“Figures,” she replied. “Any other surprises?”

Tony shrugged, with a grin. “Maybe one or two.”

Lyssa helped to prepare the evening meal, then they all sat at the table. 

“So, when do I get to go to work?” She asked Tony. 

“There’s no real rush, but Monday, if you like. Your things have been moved from that tiny cubby to your office….”

“Wait, office?” She interrupted. 

“Yep, your own office,” he laughed. “But you’ll be working with one of the senior attorneys until you get your feet wet, then can decide your own specialty.”

She nodded, her mind working already. Loki watched her for a moment before bringing her hand to his lips. 

*** ~~~ ***

Two months later, Tony came to her office with the remainder of the surprise that he had for her. The two million dollars owed her by her brothers had been recovered and placed into her account, which was with Tony’s bank and very secure. He also handed her a manila envelope. 

When she upended the contents onto her desk, a couple of photos slid out along with several pieces of paper. She looked them over before meeting his eyes. 

“Mr. Stark, this is really too much,” she whispered. 

“You deserve it,” he shrugged. 

Lyssa read through the papers again, which were the deeds to her parents’ house, the land that came with it and the parcel that her father had put aside for her. 

“It was for sale anyway, so I purchased it. The house is in very good shape, so is the barn. It’s there if you should ever want it.”

“If you or any of the others ever need any alone time, you’re welcome to use it,” she said. “I should take some time to go look at it and find a caretaker.”

“Already done.”

She sighed and looked at him. “I will never be able to repay you for this.”

“Unnecessary. You’ve been a big help in getting Loki settled, even if it wasn’t planned at all,” Tony replied. “In all honesty, he seems happier than when he first got here.”

Lyssa smiled softly as she fidgeted with the ring that Loki had given her, which she never took off. 

“I’m happier, too,” she said. “Although, it hasn’t been without challenges.”

“I’m sure.” He laughed. 

*** ~~~ ***

(November)

Six months later, Lyssa stepped off the elevator on the Avengers’ level, absolutely livid. She stalked toward the stairs that led down to the apartment that she and Loki shared. 

“Is...something wrong?” Tony asked as he and Thor watched her. 

She held up a hand to forestall any questions. 

“If you should hear shouting from downstairs, no need to interfere. But if _he_ should start screaming, you might want to check on him.”

They looked at each other until Loki arrived on the elevator. He was angry, but not nearly as angry as Lyssa appeared to be. 

“What did you do?” Thor asked him. 

“Not important,” Loki responded. “She went downstairs?”

“Yep.”

Tony crossed his arms and watched Loki head down the stairs after her. After a few minutes, a door slammed downstairs and Lyssa ran back up, with Loki hot on her heels. 

_“Oh, don’t you dare!”_

He’d caught her by the arms and she struggled to get away. She shoved against him, but he held her firmly, though carefully. Finally, he bent over to put her across his shoulder, causing her to shriek with frustration. 

“Put me down! I swear you won’t get any food for Thanksgiving if you don’t put me down! Everyone _else_ will be invited, though.” 

As Loki passed by Thor and Tony, she reached out to grab at anything and her fingers scrabbled over Thor’s shirt but was unable to get hold of him. She tried grabbing a chair, then the corner of the wall but Loki was unphased. 

Lyssa finally resorted to smacking Loki’s back and trying to grab at his hair but he lightly spanked her backside, which stilled her for only a moment. She propped a hand onto his back so that she wasn’t hanging upside down and glowered at her audience. 

After Loki had carried her downstairs, Tony turned to look at Thor, rather amused and curious. 

“Do you suppose we should….?”

“Not unless someone starts screaming,” Thor replied. 

*** ~~~ ***

Loki set Lyssa down once he’d closed the apartment door behind him. She brushed her hair back before heading to the spare bedroom, but the door slammed shut in her face before she could reach it. She gave it a kick before turning to head to the master bedroom. 

“Oh, you are _really_ pissing me off!” 

He’d kept her from shutting the door behind her, and she had nowhere else to go to get away from him. Loki followed her, just watching silently for a moment before approaching her. She was unsuccessful in avoiding him, and his arms went around her firmly before he carried her to the bed and laid down with her. He pulled her close and held her, despite her efforts to escape. 

“Stop, just stop,” he murmured. 

“You’re not helping the matter. I should go to Georgia for a few days and leave you here to stew.”

Lyssa turned her face away from him, not wanting him to see the tears threatening to fall. She pressed the heels of both hands against her eyes, while her chest hitched in a soft sob. 

“No,” he replied. “I’m sorry.”

“You act like you don’t trust me.”

“I trust you,” he said, pressing his lips against her temple. “This is still fairly new to me, and...I was wrong.”

The day had started out as any other, with Lyssa working in her office. Loki would occasionally visit her there, usually around lunch, so that he could join her for the midday meal. Sometimes they’d go down to the food court or back up to their apartment 

On this particular day, Loki had gone down to her office and opened the door after the briefest of knocks. She had been in a meeting with one of the junior attorneys and when Loki had opened the door, the man had his arms around her, and Loki had lost his mind. 

His temper had flared, things were said and the man had very nearly been tossed from the office. In fact, he _had_ been tossed, but by some stroke of luck, had remained on his feet. Loki could have thrown him _through_ a window if he’d chosen, but had controlled himself enough not to go that far. 

Lyssa had stared at him for a moment and her expression of fear had stopped him in his tracks. Then the fear had been replaced by anger, and she’d stalked by him without a word. 

And now, she laid beside him, trembling, not wanting to look at him. She pulled her hands away from her eyes and took a deep breath. Loki captured her hand and gently stroked her fingers, trying to soothe her. 

“I will talk to Tony and tell him what happened. That is his employee and up to him to address it,” she told him. “He was inappropriate and I didn’t invite his attention.”

“Alright,” he replied. “Forgive me? I jumped to conclusions. I was jealous and that is foreign to me. I simply don’t want you to be bothered.”

“I can understand that, but you just can’t attack people here. I can’t work if the people I deal with each day are afraid of you.”

“I get that,” he whispered. “I beg your forgiveness, my darling. I will learn to control it, hmmm?”

Lyssa nodded silently, eyes still closed. Loki continued to caress her hand until she fell asleep, then he stayed with her for awhile longer, just holding her and lightly stroking her jaw or neck. Once he was sure she was sound asleep, he got up and removed her shoes before pulling a blanket over her. 

He left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar, then went to the window to stare out over city. Lost in thought, he didn’t hear Thor knock or approach him. 

“Brother?”

Loki gave a slight start when Thor came to stand beside him. 

“Is everything alright?”

“Hmmm,” Loki sighed. “She’s asleep, and I’ve made a royal ass of myself.”

Thor rocked on his heels while he considered that. Loki gave a wry grin, which Thor could see in their reflections. 

“And that is something new for you?” Thor asked, carefully, with a soft chuckle. 

“I rarely make an ass of myself over a woman,” Loki clarified, scowling. 

“This is true,” Thor responded, nodding. 

“You’re no help,” Loki growled. 

“Never claimed to be. At least she didn’t kick you out, right? Or try to move out?”

“No,” Loki replied. 

“Everything will be fine.” Thor clapped him on the shoulder. “Food is upstairs if you want it.”

*** ~~~ ***

On Thanksgiving, Lyssa had once again cooked dinner for the team, which was gathered in her and Loki’s apartment. 

Natasha, Sam and Clint had returned from their mission, and sat at the table, along with Happy Hogan, who had once again driven her on her shopping trips. Happy was usually _unhappy_ with most people, but Lyssa had befriended him on the trip the previous year to her bar exam, and the man simply adored her. Tony had noticed this and assigned him to drive her when needed. 

“My mother would sometimes ask us to give an example of what we were grateful for, when we had dinner each year,” Lyssa said, standing with her wine glass in hand. “I’m not going to put anyone on the spot, but I’m grateful to have such an awesome boss, who’s also a great friend, and a whole team of kick-ass friends. I appreciate the kindness you’ve shown me this past year, and the help you’ve given me.”

Lyssa paused to look around the table, then held out her hand to Loki, who took it and kissed it. 

“I’m _especially_ grateful for one fateful elevator ride.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you’re inclined to, please leave a comment. What was your favorite part? How did you like it overall? How am I doing?


End file.
